Authorities across five Central African nations seized 251 tonnes of medical products between 2020 and 2025 as illicit sellers filled severe gaps left by formal health systems, according to a report released Tuesday by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
How Did Medical Seizures Surge Across Central Africa?
From 2020 through 2025, authorities intercepted 251 tonnes of medical products across Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, Gabon, the Central African Republic, and Chad, news.un.org reported. Annual seizures shifted dramatically over the period, climbing from about five tonnes in 2020 to nearly 116 tonnes in 2024, before dropping to over 97 tonnes in 2025.
The United Nations cautioned against reading the raw totals as a direct measurement of market growth. Larger interceptions can stem from stricter enforcement just as easily as they reflect trafficking volume, and data collection varies widely across the region from year to year. Even so, the overall scale remains striking. Cameroon alone accounted for 96 tonnes of intercepted products in 2025, a sharp increase from just 2.5 tonnes five years prior.
What Products and Routes Do Traffickers Use?
The seized goods span basic and specialized treatments alike, including antibiotics, antimalarial drugs, anti-inflammatory medicines, painkillers, and psychoactive substances such as tramadol and pregabalin. Sylvie Bertrand, UNODC’s regional representative for West and Central Africa, described a complex logistical operation. “The report outlines a multimodal trafficking system that uses maritime, riverine, air and road routes and involves a broad range of actors,” Bertrand said.
Smuggling networks rely heavily on the commercial shipping lanes of the region. Major entry points include the ports of Apapa in Nigeria and Douala in Cameroon, alongside river ports located in Brazzaville and Bangui. Security forces also intercepted 7.3 tonnes of medical products at airports across the economic bloc between 2020 and 2025.
Why Are Consumers Buying Street Medications?
Produced alongside the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC), the UNODC report points to systemic public health failures that drive the illicit trade. Malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV remain widespread, yet public clinics frequently lack the supplies needed to treat patients.
The region ranks among the lowest globally for universal health coverage. In the 2023 WHO index, Chad scored just 26 out of 100 against a global average of 71. Geographic isolation compounds the crisis. In Chad and the Central African Republic, more than half of all residents live at least two hours away from a public hospital capable of providing emergency care. Financial barriers push consumers even further toward informal markets. In Chad, buying a single prefilled insulin syringe costs the equivalent of nearly 16 days of wages for the lowest-paid government worker.
Faced with those hurdles, street vendors offer an accessible alternative. Consumers in the Central African Republic told researchers they preferred informal sellers because they could purchase one or two tablets for roughly 100 CFA francs—about 20 cents—rather than buying an entire box of 12 at a regulated pharmacy.
How Widespread Are Falsified and Substandard Drugs?
The informal marketplace blurs the line between genuine, diverted, and fake medications. Between 2013 and 2025, the WHO surveillance system logged incidents involving 228 medical products in the Central African economic bloc. Of those cases, 71 percent involved falsified products, while 11 percent were classified as substandard.
Regulated supply chains are not immune to the problem. One-third of the recorded incidents were detected inside authorized outlets, demonstrating that buying medicine from a licensed pharmacy does not entirely remove the risk. In April 2025, the WHO flagged falsified batches of amoxicillin in Cameroon and the Central African Republic that lacked the active ingredients stated on their packaging. Later, in September 2026, Cameroonian authorities raided shipments in Yaoundé containing counterfeit drugs, packaging materials, and psychotropic substances.
Who Runs the Illicit Medical Supply Chains?
The criminal ecosystem behind the trade involves a diverse cast of participants. Investigators identified clandestine manufacturers, wholesale distributors, informal street vendors, couriers, healthcare workers, corrupt public officials, and online sellers as active players.
Armed groups have also capitalized on the shortage by looting medical facilities, reselling stolen drugs, or levying transit taxes on transport convoys crossing territory under their control. For patients, the stakes are fatal. Counterfeit or improperly dosed medicines cause poisoning, treatment failure, and death, while also fueling antimicrobial resistance by allowing pathogens to adapt against standard treatments. In 2023, 12 children died in Cameroon after consuming a pediatric cough syrup containing contaminated ingredients, according to UNODC.
Common Questions About Central Africa’s Illicit Drug Trade
What specific countries are covered in the UNODC report?
The report focuses on Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, Gabon, the Central African Republic, and Chad, which make up the Central African economic bloc studied alongside CEMAC and the WHO.
How much did seizures grow between 2020 and 2024?
Annual seizures rose from approximately five tonnes in 2020 to a peak of nearly 116 tonnes in 2024, before settling at over 97 tonnes in 2025.
What did the UNODC recommend to curb the illegal market?
The agency called for governments to harmonize their laws, tighten border controls, and improve cross-border cooperation, while simultaneously warning that cutting off illicit supplies must be paired with expanding access to safe, affordable medicines.
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