Emergency contraceptive pills, commonly known as P2, toothpaste, antibiotics, and anti-malarial medicines, are among the most counterfeited products, two regulatory agencies have revealed.

Others are beauty products and other therapeutic commodities intended for human health use.

Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) together with Anti-Counterfeit Authority (ACA), revealed further that 80 per cent of the fake goods in the market are imports.

In the last 14 years, from 2010, ACA has been able to intercept counterfeited goods valued at about Sh400 billion, and of this, two per cent comprises counterfeit medicines worth an estimated Sh8 billion.

Dr Fred Siyoi, PPB chief executive and his ACA counterpart Dr Mbugua Njoroge signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) interpreted as pivotal in combating trade in counterfeit and illicit pharmaceutical products.

“The signing of the MoU will be a great step towards promoting public health as it will provide a framework for coordination, collaboration and information sharing,” Dr Siyoi noted.

These products have been documented to pose a major threat to public health and safety not only in Kenya but globally.

The duo revealed that illicit trade gobbles up to Sh1 trillion annually where counterfeits including medical products and technologies account for 10 per cent of this, about Sh80 to Sh100 billion.

“We have managed in the past to confiscate pregnancy emergency pills worth about Sh8 billion which also includes products such as colgate; antibiotics, antimalarial medicines and other beauty products,” Dr Njoroge said.