NDA Arrests Two Over Shs45 Million Fake and Expired HIV Drugs in Kampala

The National Drug Authority (NDA) enforcement team has arrested two individuals in connection with the illegal possession and distribution of HIV prevention and treatment drugs valued at over Shs45 million. The operation followed a tipoff from a concerned member of the public.

According to NDA spokesperson Abiaz Rwamwiri, the suspects were intercepted at Good Life Healthcare in Najjera, Kira Municipality, Wakiso District. Intelligence later revealed that the duo operated an unlicensed store along Wilson Road in Kampala, which served as their distribution hub.

Authorities confiscated post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) drugs alongside diagnostic test kits for HIV, H. Pylori, and Hepatitis B. Investigators discovered that the suspects had been altering the expiration dates on the medical devices, posing severe health risks to unsuspecting patients.

Mr. Rwamwiri noted that tampering with diagnostic expiration dates can lead to false medical results, ultimately disrupting proper treatment regimens. Furthermore, PEP medications—which are vital emergency treatments designed to prevent HIV infection when taken within 72 hours—require strict storage and regulation that unregulated channels cannot guarantee.

The suspects are currently being held at Kira Road Police Station. They are expected to face charges including the distribution of drugs and medical devices without a license, as well as the misrepresentation of medical device identities before the Standards, Utilities and Wildlife Court.

The NDA has reiterated its warning to health facilities and the general public, urging them to procure medicines and test kits exclusively from licensed pharmacies and approved suppliers to avoid severe legal penalties and compromised health outcomes.

Read the original story on the Daily Monitor.