The launch in Brussels on 6 October 2026 of a report on trafficking in medical products in Central Africa, prepared by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) Commission, provided an opportunity to highlight the relevance of the Council of Europe’s MEDICRIME Convention.
The report is the first in depth regional analysis of this phenomenon in the CEMAC area. It was presented in the presence of representatives of the national authorities concerned, international and regional organisations (UNODC, WHO, CEMAC, the European Union and the Council of Europe), civil society and the private sector.
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Between 2020 and 2025, at least 251 tonnes of medical products were seized across the CEMAC countries. These products covered a wide range of therapeutic categories, including antibiotics, antimalarials, painkillers, anti inflammatory medicines and psychoactive products such as tramadol and pregabalin. |
These seizures demonstrate the growing scale of a phenomenon that extends beyond the CEMAC region and poses a direct threat to public health worldwide. Trafficking in falsified medical products also fuels other forms of organised crime and causes substantial economic losses for national health systems.
Discussions focused, among other things, on recommendations to strengthen the response to transnational trafficking in medical products in the CEMAC area. These include:
• strengthening and harmonising legal frameworks;
• developing coordinated approaches at national level;
• improving data collection;
• investing in prevention;
• strengthening the response to the detection of trafficked medical products; and
• stepping up regional and international cooperation.
The MEDICRIME Convention was highlighted as a leading international legal instrument that can help address several of these challenges. It was noted that the Convention provides a comprehensive legal framework for States wishing to strengthen their criminal law on the counterfeiting of medical products, and offers a practical tool for implementing several of the report’s recommendations. The recommendation to strengthen and harmonise legal frameworks is directly reflected in the offences set out in the Convention, while the recommendation on regional and international cooperation corresponds to the cooperation mechanisms it establishes.
Open to accession by all States worldwide, the MEDICRIME Convention is the only international criminal law treaty specifically devoted to combating the counterfeiting of medical products and similar crimes that threaten public health. To date, it has 23 States Parties, 22 signatories and 2 States invited to accede. The Council of Europe encourages CEMAC States, as well as all other States concerned, to consider acceding to it. The Council of Europe stands ready to assist interested States with the steps leading to accession and with the implementation of the Convention.
Through its comprehensive approach, the MEDICRIME Convention is a key instrument for protecting public health and combating pharmaceutical crime. The Council of Europe reaffirms its commitment to supporting international efforts to address this phenomenon and calls on all relevant partners to continue their cooperation.
Full report available here, in French only.
