PICTURED LEFT: Police examining stolen drugs at a community meeting. ABOVE: Police collecting evidence and stolen drugs after a raid at Ayago market.
STOLEN DRUGS AT AYAGO M ARKET
TAACC received an anonymous tip through
CAP about stolen government drugs being
sold at a local market and sent an undercover
field worker to verify the situation. W hen he
attempted to buy Coartem, an anti-malarial
medication that legally requires a medical
prescription to be dispensed, he was offered
tablets inscribed with ?GoU?? Government of
Uganda. This inscription was a clear indicator
that they had been taken from a public health
clinic.
W ith this evidence in hand, TAACC
approached district health authorities to share
their findings and help pinpoint the leakage.
W hile their message was well received, little
was done to investigate the case and progress
stalled. Although it was clear that the drugs
originated from a public health clinic, their
sales at the market was not squarely within the
jurisdiction of local police, providing little
motivation to act.
W ithout a clear path forward, TAACC and
ACCU sought assistance from the National
Health Sector Anti-Corruption Working Group,
a consortium of CSOs and the Ministry of
Health, National Medical Stores, Directorate of
Public Prosecutions, National Drug Authority,
Directorate for Ethics and Integrity, and other
government authorities. In response, the
Ministry of Health contacted local police and
directed them to take action.
W ithin a week, the police conducted a raid,
arrested perpetrators, and recovered the
stolen drugs. The press coverage surrounding
the event helped increase public scrutiny and
eliminate a loophole. Likewise, greater public
awareness on rights to free medication and the
danger of black-market drugs has reduced
demand. The Ministry of Health plans to use
the case as a model to help resolve similar
problems in the future.
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