The team behind blockchain start-up MediConnect recently met with the Ugandan president to discuss ways in which the project can help combat the country’s ongoing issue with counterfeit drugs.
MediConnect has been working on developing a blockchain solution to trace and manage prescription medication.
In a press release shared with Coin Rivet, MediConnect states that it has received indicative support from the Ugandan government to explore the use of its solution to tackle the spread of counterfeit drugs in the country.
The issue has become so prominent that according to the Ugandan National Drug Authority (NDA), 10% of the drugs prescribed in the country have substandard or counterfeit copies of them sold on the market.
Research from the World Health Organisation (WHO) has also found that 1 in 10 medical products in developing countries is substandard or falsified – 42% of which are from the WHO African region.
The news follows a meeting in Kampala when a delegation led by Uebert Angel – an international church leader and strategic partner of MediConnect – and ex-footballer turned Chief Executive Officer of MediConnect Dexter Blackstock met with the Ugandan President Yoweri Musevini, Minister of Health Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, and other high-level government officials.
After a successful meeting, the Ugandan government pledged its support to MediConnect’s solution with a view to combating the issues facing the country’s pharmaceutical industry.
Blackstock said: “The Ugandan President, Minister of Health, and National Drug Authority all understand the need to act fast to tackle the country’s counterfeit drug problem and recognise the benefits offered by tracing medication on the secure, scalable blockchain framework we are developing.
“We see this as an important opportunity for MediConnect to form part of Uganda’s national infrastructure and protect its citizens by ensuring all drugs in circulation are authentic and safe.”
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