Unverified health ads online a crime
Licence must be obtained from health ministry to advertise on social media platforms
dubai — The global advertising market through social networking platforms is expected to reach $11 billion in 2017, and fake health claims, too have a wider audience. But why?
“You don’t have to set up a shop to sell your products on social media… and the buyers are in large numbers,” said Dr Amin Al Amiri, Undersecretary for Public Health Policy and Licensing, at the ministry.
“So it is easy to sell anything – from genuine to fakes. While fake products in other industries may have only a financial impact on an individual, fake health products can cause long term effects on the health and sometimes even lead to death.
“This is the reason we are issuing regular warnings against these misleading ads,” said Dr Al Amiri, who is also the deputy chairman of the Supreme Committee for Registration and Pricing Pharmaceuticals.
However, misuse of social media to promote unverified health claims is a crime, added the senior health official from the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention. Around 715 health violations were monitored by the ministry in 2015 alone.
“These are advertisements that promote treatments and drugs that have not been approved by the ministry but are freely endorsing products on social media…people believe such endorsements easily.”
The ministry monitors such advertisements on social media, websites by checking out the numbers provided in the ads. A complaint is then lodged with the police and the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, which then takes action depending on the violation.
Most of the drugs that are promoted online and are bought include herbal medicines, sex stimulants, fat burning medicines and drugs for diabetes.
There is no universally effective medication for baldness cure but it is being sold and people are fooled into buying it.”
Dr Amin Al Amiri, Undersecretary for Public Health Policy and Licensing
“There is no universally effective medication for baldness cure but it is being sold and people are fooled into buying it.”
Giving a recent example, Dr Al Amiri said that text messages were circulated in the UAE and region claiming that physiotherapy and natural herbs could cure cancer.
“There are 200 different types of cancers, so how can one such advertisement make such a claim.”
He said that such misleading advertising can lead to serious health complications. “People should not forward such kind of messages to others but must inform health authorities since such crimes are punishable by law,” he added.
Licence from ministry
To advertise on social media, a licence should be obtained from the health ministry. Dr Al Amiri said that a health vigilance initiative launched through the ministry’s website includes instructions on medication safety and warning on counterfeit drugs.
“The public can search for medical products using its scientific or trade name.”
Earlier this year, strong rumours spread about the presence of a poisonous cough syrup in the UAE that claimed the lives of a number of children. The ministry later issued a statement saying that the drug was not registered with the ministry and, hence was not available in the country.
The ministry has also urged community members to contact them immediately if they find the drug being sold or bought in the UAE through the free hotline number 80011111 or the ‘Tamenni’ programme on the website.
asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com