More than 100,000 people die each year in sub-Saharan Africa due to fake and substandard anti-malaria drugs.

The Director General of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation, Bemanya Twebaze, says global trade in counterfeit goods is estimated to be worth more than US$200 billion every year.

Twebaze addressed a three-day meeting of the Judges Colloquium on Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in Africa at Swakopmund.

Twebaze says the Internet is a major distribution vehicle for counterfeits, with the latest report from Pharma-Japan indicating that 90% of medicines sold on the Internet are fakes.

In addition, he says drug counterfeiting is 10 to 25 times more profitable than drug trafficking, leading to its rapid growth as an organised crime.

Twebaze also noted the challenges of a lack of specialised courts for intellectual property infringement in some countries.

The World Health Organisation estimates that 42% of all counterfeit medicines reported between 2013 and 2017 were from Africa.

"Further to the foregoing, we have found out that these problems continue to fester because of little cooperation between authorities within and amongst the African States; advances in technology and the online marketplace; corruption and bribery; porous borders; as well as advances in trade links and investment between Africa and other continents."

Justice Minister Yvonne Dausab, in her address, emphasised the lack of resources and capacity as some of the challenges in strengthening IP enforcement in Africa.

"Many of our countries have limited budgets and expertise in these areas, making it difficult to investigate and prosecute IP violations. In addition, corruption and a weak rule of law can hinder IP enforcement efforts. Namibia, like many other African countries, recognises the value of IP protection as a driver of economic growth and development."

The African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation and the Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation Commission, established in 1976, are intergovernmental organisations for cooperation among African states in patent and other intellectual property matters.