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Motsoaledi warns of growing danger of fake drugs
The Mercury
|December 11, 2025
MINISTER of Health Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has exposed a growing threat in the pharmaceutical sector regarding the proliferation of suspected counterfeit and illicit medicine.
MINISTER of Health Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has revealed that 507 cases of suspected counterfeit and illicit medicines were reported to the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority in the 2024/25 financial year. I IOL Graphics
(IOL Graphics)
He said the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) had recorded 507 suspected counterfeit and illicit medicine cases in the 2024/25 financial year, of which 110 were confirmed.
The minister also revealed that approximately R3 million was spent on the destruction of these products, highlighting the significant financial and public health risks posed by the illicit trade in medicines.
This story is from the December 11, 2025 edition of The Mercury.
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