New weapon in the global fight against fake malaria drugs: a cheap scanner
Like a TV remote, a device known as Scio uses infrared light and connects to a smartphone to determine whether medications are genuine
by Mark Harris
A new device that uses similar infrared light to TV remotes can accurately detect fake antimalarial drugs, according to a scientific paper published Monday.
The researchers revealed how they were able to use an optical scanner purchased online for $250 to distinguish perfectly between life-saving malaria drugs and deadly counterfeits.
Dozens of public health scientists declared in 2015 that a global crisis of fake drugs was undermining the fight against malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/Aids, particularly in the developing world.
Read more on The Guardian.