The WHO Member State mechanism on substandard and falsified medical products

Overview

Access to safe, effective and quality medical products is a crucial element of universal health coverage. Yet, every day, substandard and falsified medical products enter the global supply chain resulting in socioeconomic cost and damage to health.
Substandard and falsified medicines, vaccines and other medical products, such as in vitro diagnostics, not only increase disease prevalence, exacerbate antimicrobial resistance and produce adverse health effects, they also waste resources, result in economic loss and increase out-of-pocket spending on medical treatment.
Substandard and falsified medicines are produced, distributed and sold all over the world. Preventing, detecting and responding to them is a persistent public health challenge for WHO Member States.