COVID-19: Hand sanitiser prices soar, demand for chloroquine resurfaces

Since the global outbreak of the novel Corona virus, the prices of hand sanitising agents have spiked and the demand of the long banned anti malaria medication chloroquine has resurfaced.

In March 2020, the news of the first corona virus infection was announced in Cameroon.

One of the preventive measures prescribed by the government and the WHO is to wash the hands with soap under running water or use an alcoholic hand sanitising gel.

Following the panic and fear of contamination, many Cameroonians rushed to shops and pharmacies to stock up as many hand sanitisers as they could.

As the demand increased, scarcity occurred and caused a price spike.

Some shop and pharmacy owners saw it as opportunity to make brisk business.

A sales agent at one pharmacy in Beim-Asi Yaoundé says even after the price increase they are sold out.

“My supplier provides hand sanitisers to me at 500CFAF, but because of the recent increase in demand we sell one at 1,500 CFAF, yet we have already run out of stock.”

While some pharmacies are trying to make brisk business, others are putting in efforts to provide immediate solutions to the increase demand.

Dr. Kima Tanyi, a pharmacist working Ngouso Yaoundé says after they ran out, they began producing locally in the pharmacy in order to meet up with demand.

“Since the closing down of schools in particular, demand has sky rocketed. We generally have our in-house prepared sanitizer. But since then meeting up to the demand has been extra challenging.These days we have staff dedicated specifically to the formulation of the hand sanitizer.”

Dr. Kima says they still find it hard meeting up demand despite the organisation.

“Sometimes we are selling as quickly as we can make and bottle. We have to tell clients to come back in an hour or so because they are buying faster than we can produce.”

As part of the solution, the NGO Local Youth Corner is working with partners on a new project dubbed, “Operation One Man, One Sanitiser.”

Local Youth Corner intends to distribute hand sanitisers from home to home free of charge in a bid to help slow the spread of the disease.

Health officials battling COVID19

COVID-19: The Quest for Chloroquine

As Cameroonians got news that the anti-malaria medication chloroquine is used in the treatment protocol for the novel corona virus, many have visited pharmacies and roadside vendors requesting to purchase.

Dr. Kima Tanyi says that the medication chloroquine was long banned from the pharmaceutical market over decade ago, but the derivatives are still in supply.

The Minister of Public Health, Dr. Manaouda Malachi signed a release on March 25, 2020, warning pharmaceutical companies from supplying the population with this drugs.

He warned against self-prescription and said the drug should only be used by medical professionals treating the COVID-19 patients.

Dr. Manaouda Malachi sent out a stern warning to shops and pharmacies who are taking advantage of the crisis to make profit.

Bruno Ndonwie Funwie

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