The distribution and promotion of fake/falsified/counterfeited medicines online has a tremendous impact on human safety all over the world, with more than 500,000 people being killed by these kinds of medicines every year (WEF). Youth IGF champions against this backcloth. Our Ambassadors have decided to take action to achieve the SDG3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
We teamed up with the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacy (ASOP EU) supported by three French global healthcare companies Ipsen, Sanofi and Servier to educate the youth about buying fake medicines online in particular COVID-19 scams. The campaign is called “We rely on you. We rely on youth”. The campaign comprised a series of educational debates across the world to inform the youth about the rising tide of websites capitalising on fear and misinformation regarding counterfeiting.
The three healthcare companies, Ipsen, Sanofi and Servier, said “As companies involved in the fight against fake medicines, we believe that supporting educational campaigns to combat the false claims about COVID-19 cures are essential during this very challenging period.
The Youth IGF Movement is a focused and effective way to reach the youth of today and we look forward to seeing the fruits of their work.”
The launch of our campaign was part of the World Anti-counterfeiting Day on June 10th, 2020.
This was followed by 10 awareness-rising online debates across the world between the Youth IGF Ambassadors and top level national and international senior leaders.
“There are many young people who may be duped in to thinking there is a cure for COVID-19 or even a vaccine. The truth is there is not, and people need to know about this”, says Yuliya Morenets, founder of the Youth IGF Movement. June 2020.
Want to buy a pain medicine online on your own? Check twice!
OUR CAMPAIGN IN 2020
The objective of the campaign is to accurately inform the youth about where one can buy medicines safely on the Internet, but also to explore ways of catalysing a multistakeholder approach to fight against falsified medicines online.
