Ugandan authorities say they have found fake Hepatitis B vaccines at some health facilities, including in the capital, Kampala.
A statement from the Ministry of Health says the fake vaccines were discovered during routine checks at facilities in four districts.
According to the National Drug Authority (NDA), which is investigating alongside the health ministry, the products were found in eight hospitals and clinics across the capital Kampala, and the towns of Mbale, Entebbe and Mbarara.
At least one of the clinics identified has denied using the “fake vaccines”.
“Our services are to international standards… all medicines dispensed at our hospitals are rigorously pre-tested for authenticity and effectiveness,” a spokesman for Kampala’s Univic Medical Centre is quoted as saying.
But the NDA says it saw the suspect vaccines when it visited that facility.
The health ministry says some suspects have been arrested in the scam involving doses allegedly originating from India.
The scandal has fueled concerns about corruption in a health sector long plagued by malfeasance. Fake drugs are a common problem across Africa.
A Ugandan lawmaker died of complications related to Hepatitis B last year, bringing more attention to the virus that attacks the liver and can cause chronic illness.
The Hepatitis B prevalence rate in Uganda stands at 10 percent, higher than the HIV rate, according to the most recent government figures.
