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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.