How do counterfeit drugs contribute to the problem?
Counterfeit drugs don’t work as they contain sub-standard or no active ingredient. People take them, thinking they will be cured but they will not. The parasite remains in the body and can be spread further by mosquitoes. The patient can also die due to untreated malaria. If the drug contains inadequate amounts of active ingredient, more susceptible parasites may be killed but stronger ones will survive and may develop tolerance to artemisinin after exposure to small amounts of it.
