Imagine taking medicine to treat an illness, only to find out that it is substandard or falsified. For millions of people across Africa, this is a patient safety concern that cannot be ignored. Unsafe medical products can compromise treatment, contribute to drug resistance, place additional pressure on health systems and, in the most serious cases, cost lives.

We discussed the scale of the problem, its impact on patient safety and health service delivery, and what this new partnership means for building a stronger, more coordinated response across the continent with Dr. Lenias Hwenda, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Medicines for Africa.