In the first quarter of 2024, 323 drugs in the United States were reported to be in severe shortage.

U.S. shortages included diabetes drugs Ozempic and Mounjaro, the allergy drug adrenaline, the pediatric antibiotic amoxicillin, chemotherapy agents, ADHD medications, and other sterile injectable drugs.

Analyses cited manufacturing and quality problems, supply‑chain fragmentation, and surges in demand (for example for weight‑loss drugs) as major contributors to U.S. shortages.

Hospitals and clinics reported diverting and rationing some chemotherapy patients because of the drug shortages.

Federal and stakeholder responses in the United States included a White House proposal to spend between $3.26 billion and $5.11 billion over the next decade and calls for greater manufacturer transparency and expanded FDA access to shortage information.

U.S. data showed prices rose for drugs involved in shortages, with a 16.6 percent price increase reported and some alternative drugs priced at least three times higher.

In Ireland, a paracetamol shortage emerged during a winter surge of COVID‑19 and influenza cases and the Health Products Regulatory Authority notified the Health Minister of supply issues.

Irish officials said causes of medicine shortages were multifactorial, including raw material shortages, manufacturing difficulties, and industry consolidation, and advised therapeutic alternatives or different strengths/brands after clinical consultation.

Jordanian Ministry of Health hospitals faced medicine shortages while accumulating roughly 300 million dinars of debt to pharmaceutical companies, with cited causes including defects in centralized procurement, poor hospital sub‑budgeting, delayed payments, lack of coordination, and funding shortfalls.

The Jordan analysis warned that medicine shortages threaten patient safety, increase health system and patient costs, burden healthcare workers, and erode public trust.

Recommended solutions in Jordan included scientifically prepared medicine budgets, improved coordination between ministry, hospitals and suppliers, fiscal reforms to ensure timely payments, and social responsibility by government and pharmaceutical companies.

Reporting from Nigeria documented sharply rising drug prices that made medicines unaffordable for many patients and prompted increased self‑medication and reliance on traditional healers.

Nigerian hospitals described coping measures such as negotiating bills with patients, offering discounts, adjusting consultation and bed fees while maintaining drug procurement, and engaging staff to avoid layoffs amid the crisis.

Taiwan experienced its most severe drug shortages in decades driven by pandemic supply disruptions, raw material shortages linked to the Ukraine‑Russia war, shipping route disruptions that raised freight costs, and policy price cuts that led some manufacturers to withdraw from insurance programs.

Taiwan specifically reported shortages of allergic rhinitis medicines related to limited ephedrine raw‑material batches and shortages of artificial tears, with warnings shortages could persist into the Spring Festival period.

Across the 2021–2024 reports, affected products ranged from sterile injectable generics and chemotherapy drugs to antibiotics, diabetes medications, paracetamol, ADHD drugs, and common over‑the‑counter items, and responses included rationing, therapeutic substitution, negotiated patient billing, production scale‑ups and policy proposals to improve transparency and funding.

Conclusion: Between 2021 and 2024 medication shortages affected diverse medicines worldwide and health systems coped through rationing, therapeutic substitution, negotiated patient billing, production scale‑ups, and policy proposals to increase transparency and funding.

In the first quarter of 2024, 323 drugs in the United States were reported to be in severe shortage.

Title:

Content: General Supervision
Elham Aboul Fath
Editor-in-Chief
Thank you for your patience.
General Supervision
Elham Aboul Fath
Editor-in-Chief
Thank you for your patience.
An Unexpected Catastrophe in the World ’ s Largest Country: The Complete Story of U.S. Drug Shortages
The deficit is at a record level.
According to data from the American Society of Health System Pharmacists and the University of Utah Drug Information Service, organizations began tracking drug shortages for the first time in 2001. Steady since 2021 – now reaching a record high of 323 drugs in the first three months of 2024.
Paul Abramowitz, CEO of the American Society of Health System Pharmacists, wrote in a blog post on Thursday: “It ’ s been a long time to end drug shortages, ” and wrote:“ All drug classes are vulnerable to shortages, some of the most worrisome shortages include sterile injectable generic drugs, including cancer chemotherapy drugs and emergency drugs stored in hospital vans and procedural areas. It is dangerous for doctors and patients. ”
In addition to the 32 chemotherapy drugs that are deficient, the five categories of drugs with the greatest deficiency include central nervous system stimulants, antimicrobials, hormonal agents, and intravenous fluids. [1] The Drug Deficiency Database maintained by the American Society of Health System Pharmacists and the University of Utah is based on voluntary reports from practitioners, patients, and others that have been confirmed by manufacturers. The U.S. drug is in short supply, because it captures broader effects on service providers and patients.
The crisis has lasted a year and a half.
More than half of the treatment shortages have lasted for more than two years, according to an analysis by health consultancy IQVIA, and the average shortage affects at least half a million patients, many of them elderly, according to the US Office of Health and Human Services under the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, which shared its analysis with Congress in May.
Growing demand can play a role in drug shortages, as with the recent shortage of weight-loss drugs, but often manufacturing and quality problems, such as supply chain gaps and downtime, are the root cause. And varied.
But the American Society of Health System Pharmacists has “serious concerns ” about parts of this proposal, especially financial sanctions imposed on hospitals that lack the resources to comply with the recommendations, Abramowitz wrote:“ We all know that managing shortages is not enough and is not a sustainable solution to the worsening crisis, and there is still a lot of work to be done at the federal level to fix the root causes of drug shortages. ”
Why Shortage Occurs
Shortages can be caused by high demand, as with the recent shortage of weight-loss drugs, but this is not usually the main problem.
The FDA also blames manufacturing and quality problems, supply chain gaps, and downtime, and Dr. Emily Tucker, a drug shortage expert and an assistant professor of industrial engineering at Clemson University, says that when there is an indication of shortages, large health systems often also proactively place large orders, adding to the system ’ s stress.
“I don ’ t blame anyone.
“When I talk to all the stakeholders – whether it ’ s wholesalers, manufacturers, or the government – everyone wants this problem to end, ” she said.
Lack of transparency
Dr. Julie Grallo, chief medical officer and executive vice president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, told the House Committee earlier that the shortage puts providers in a terrible position: “The drug shortage crisis is forcing providers to make impossible choices, and it is also hindering the development of new drugs. Health drugs are purchased only on a price basis, and manufacturers do not have to disclose the source of their acquisition of the ingredients.
The shortage of this generic chemical drug came due to the closure of one factory in India that manufactures the active ingredient after a surprise FDA inspection found “significant quality issues, ” says Jarallo:“ We didn ’ t know, and there was no transparency regarding the company ’ s supply of the majority of active pharmaceutical ingredients to all manufacturers across the board.
Knowing this in advance, we could have responded much faster, ” Dr. Steven Schundlemeyer, director of the PRIME Institute of the University of Minnesota School of Pharmacy, which focuses on economic and management issues, told the committee that as with defense contractors in the United States, New Zealand requires manufacturers to disclose their suppliers, and that information is required.
Easily accessible in the database.
Related Topics

Title:

Content: Meitu
The first quarter of the United States serious drug shortage 323 drugs urgent cancer patients also have to be diverted and rationed!
CHU HENG NETWORK NEWS CENTER 2024-04-16 10: 42
According to the latest data from the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the Utah Center for Drug Information Services, a total of 323 drugs in the United States were in severe shortages in the first quarter of this year, surpassing the record of 320 in 2014.
Among the drugs affected are the widely used diabetes drugs Ozempic and Mounjaro, the allergy treatment drug adrenaline, the common antibiotic amoxicillin for children, chemotherapy drugs and injections commonly used in hospitals in intensive care.
ASHP CEO Paul Abramowitz said in a statement that almost all categories of drugs are facing shortages, with non-patented sterile injectable drugs, including cancer chemotherapy drugs, and emergency drugs stored in hospital emergency vans and operating areas, the shortage of such drugs is the most worrying.
According to the American Cancer Society, chemotherapy is one of the top five drugs most affected by the shortage, which threatens to have a devastating impact on patients, and some hospitals and clinics say doctors have had to divert patients to ration their medications because of a shortage of some chemotherapy drugs.
In addition, ASHP noted that the continued nationwide shortage of ADHD drugs is “a problem for clinicians and patients. ”
The shortage of popular drugs is even more acute, with Mounjaro, the diabetes drug known as the “slimming pill ”, already in dire straits.
In response, Lilly said that the “unprecedented surge in demand ” for Mounjaro and its similar drug Zepbound has led to a shortage in the market, which the company is struggling to cope with.
Lilly is ramping up investments to boost production at Mounjaro and Zepbound in the second half of 2024.
The company said it expects intermittent supply disruptions in the near term due to unprecedented demand.
How to cure the drug shortage
The last major “drug shortage ” in U.S. history occurred in 2014, and it has only been alleviated in the years since.
Since 2021, the drug shortage situation seems to be increasing, and scholars in the field of medical health and economics in the United States believe that the reason for most drug shortages in the United States is the fragmentation of the drug supply chain.
The White House this month proposed spending between $3.26 billion and $5.11 billion over the next decade to help address the nation ’ s drug shortage.
The bill requires approval and funding from the U.S. Congress.
U.S. researchers and policymakers believe that a complete solution to the “drug shortage ” may require changes to the business model of the U.S. pharmaceutical industry, including measures to increase the price of generic drugs to attract more drug manufacturers.
Policymakers recommend giving the FDA more power to access more information about drug shortages and impending shortages.
Currently, the FDA relies primarily on phone calls to manufacturers asking if they can increase their supply to understand the situation.
The American Society of Health System Pharmacists said it is working with the federal government to advise the government on measures to address the drug shortage, including that Congress should require manufacturers to be more transparent on any supply chain issues and encourage more diversity in supply chains.
According to Abramowitz, “The federal government still has a lot of work to do to fundamentally address drug shortages, and the American Society of Health System Pharmacists will continue to engage regularly with policymakers to guide them in drafting and passing new legislation to address drug shortages and continue to advocate vigorously for proven solutions on behalf of our members. ”

U.S. shortages included diabetes drugs Ozempic and Mounjaro, the allergy drug adrenaline, the pediatric antibiotic amoxicillin, chemotherapy agents, ADHD medications, and other sterile injectable drugs.

Analyses cited manufacturing and quality problems, supply‑chain fragmentation, and surges in demand (for example for weight‑loss drugs) as major contributors to U.S. shortages.

Hospitals and clinics reported diverting and rationing some chemotherapy patients because of the drug shortages.

Federal and stakeholder responses in the United States included a White House proposal to spend between $3.26 billion and $5.11 billion over the next decade and calls for greater manufacturer transparency and expanded FDA access to shortage information.

U.S. data showed prices rose for drugs involved in shortages, with a 16.6 percent price increase reported and some alternative drugs priced at least three times higher.

Title:

Content: Prescription drug shortages lead to higher prices

Reporter: Andryanna Sheppard
Published: Updated:
Lea este artículo en Noticias WINK

Millions of people in the United States depend on prescription drugs to manage pain, treat medical conditions, and even to help them stay alive. However, the country’s drug shortage is making it hard for some people to get the medication they need or pay for the drugs that are available.

Federal Drug Administration data shows 90 percent of prescriptions in the US are for generic drugs. According to the National Institutes of Health, most prescription drugs involved in shortages are generic options.

There are currently more than 250 medications on the nation’s prescription drug shortage list, according to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. The organization says 2023 marked the worst year for shortages in about a decade.

Jessica Kahn’s two sons were diagnosed with ADD.

“I would say tricky, tricky to navigate,” Kahn described.

For the past year, Kahn said getting their medication has been frustrating.

“I have my list of all the pharmacies. I’ve even driven all the way up north to Walgreens or a CVS, some random place to go pick up a kids’ prescription,” Kahn added.

According to the FDA, prescription drug shortages are often linked to manufacturing and quality problems, delays, and discontinuations. Two drugs used in chemotherapy, Adderall, lidocaine, and amoxicillin are just a couple of the prescription medications on the shortage list.

When drug supplies are low, prices tend to increase. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, there is a 16.6 percent increase in the price of drugs involved in a shortage. And in some cases, alternative drugs were priced at least three times higher.

“You got to be very conscientious that it might not be available and that it is not an option,” Kahn advised. “No matter how many places you call, it’s not there.”

Beating the prescription drug shortage

Health experts offer these tips:

  • Check the national drug shortage list for your medication and possible alternatives.
  • Don’t wait until your prescription is almost gone to refill it.
  • Check other pharmacies for availability and if you can’t find the generic version, look for coupons or programs that offer payment help. Some patients have reported that they receive additional help to reduce some prescription costs from $100 to $10, it’s not allowed if you are already on Medicare.
  • Websites and apps like GoodRX, RX Saver and WellRX can help you find the cheapest place that has your medication and coupons for it.

Contributors to this news report include: Lindsay Dailey, Producer; Bob Walko, Editor

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.

In Ireland, a paracetamol shortage emerged during a winter surge of COVID‑19 and influenza cases and the Health Products Regulatory Authority notified the Health Minister of supply issues.

Title:

Content: Ireland has been suffering a paracetamol shortage as cases of Covid-19 and the winter flu in the country soared over the festive and new year period.

The revelation was made by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly after his department received notification of a supply issue from the Health Products Regulatory Authority.

It is understood the shortage impacted some prescription paracetamol products.

Read More:Irish people complain of ‘worst ever’ winter bug sweeping country that feels like Covid but isn’t

Two suppliers affected have stated that resupply will be sometime in January 2023.

However, there are other prescription paracetamol suppliers with some stock available on the shelves.

Paracetamol is one of the medicines used most often in Ireland and especially for the flu, aches and pain.

But Mr Donnelly pointed out that there are multiple forms of the drug with different strengths and brands available from various sources.

He said: "In the event that there are some supply issues for individual medicines, alternative options such as alternative strengths and brands, generic medicines will usually be available to ensure continuity of treatment.

"In some cases where the medicine initially prescribed for the patient is unavailable, patients may be switched to a suitable therapeutic alternative following appropriate consultation with a healthcare professional."

The Health Minister said medicine shortages have been increasingly prevalent worldwide over the past decade. The causes of such shortages are multifactorial including shortage of raw materials, manufacturing difficulties and industry consolidations.

He stated: "Medicine shortages can originate at any point in the supply chain. They can involve and impact many stakeholders in different ways as the supply models and clinical use of therapies can vary across national health systems.

"Management of medicines shortages necessitates a multi-faceted, multi stakeholder response to ensure patient safety , continuity of care and protection of public health.

"Patients or their carers who have any concerns in relation to temporary alternative products provided because of medical shortages are advised to speak with their pharmacist or other healthcare [professionals] involved in their care."

Mr Donnelly was responding to a number of written Dail questions on the shortage of medicines.

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Irish officials said causes of medicine shortages were multifactorial, including raw material shortages, manufacturing difficulties, and industry consolidation, and advised therapeutic alternatives or different strengths/brands after clinical consultation.

Jordanian Ministry of Health hospitals faced medicine shortages while accumulating roughly 300 million dinars of debt to pharmaceutical companies, with cited causes including defects in centralized procurement, poor hospital sub‑budgeting, delayed payments, lack of coordination, and funding shortfalls.

Title:

Content: Lack of medicines in MOH hospitals and accumulation of indebtedness Repercussions / solutions
3 hours ago
Dr. Naeem Malkawi
The problem of shortage of medicines in Jordanian hospitals requires quick and effective attention and intervention, as providing medicines to patients is one of the foundations of quality health care and one of the most important strategies of the Ministry of Health, however, the shortage of medicines in many hospitals leads to health, economic and social challenges that threaten the quality of health care and patient safety.
The budget of the Ministry of Health of medicines, vaccines, vaccines and medical consumables for this year 2023 was estimated at 103.75 million dinars, where the actual for the past year 2022 was 93.8 million dinars.
The question is, how did the Ministry of Health accumulate such a large indebtedness in the item of medicines to reach 300 million dinars for pharmaceutical companies?
And why last week was the debt of 2019 cleared and deducted estimated at 50% of the debt for that year?
This means that there is still a delay in the payment of dues for companies for the years 2020, 2021 and 2022 in addition to eight months of the current year 2023, and this brings us to a range of reasons and challenges:
1.
The aim of the Ministry of Health was to reduce the bureaucracy of procedures and overcome the complexity of procurement references in hospitals and health directorates in the governorates and not to obtain price and discount preferences, but the results indicate a defect in the management and mechanism of dealing with the strategy of unified and central procurement, despite the margin for hospital administrations to use the power of direct purchase in cases of necessity.
2.
Preparation of sub-budgets for hospitals: Evidence shows that there is a problem in the preparation of sub-budgets for hospitals and the main budget of the Ministry of Health with regard to the item of medicines, which is due to the lack of accurate and sufficient data on the number of patients and hospital needs of medicines, and the lack of accurate forecasting of future needs.
3.
Delays in the review of financial claims and invoices between the Ministry of Health and the hospitals on the one hand and the pharmaceutical companies on the other hand, is one of the most important reasons behind the accumulation of indebtedness, and this negatively affects the liquidity of the pharmaceutical companies and hinders them from providing a sustainable service in adhering to the procedures of supplying medicines according to schedule.
4.
Lack of coordination and communication: There may be a lack of coordination and communication between hospitals, the Ministry of Health and pharmaceutical companies, which complicates the supply and distribution of medicines and increases the chances of delays and the depletion of medicines from hospitals in the absence of an effective policy for stock management and the time required for stock adequacy.
5.
Focusing on the trade names of certain drugs from specific production sources and not adopting the protocol of writing the scientific name for the prescriptions of patients.
6.
One of the reasons that may be major and important at the same time is the funding aspect and the lack of the necessary allocations or use them in other aspects other than medicines to fill a deficit or emergency during the use of budget items due to the scarcity of available liquidity. Medication.
Lack of medication can lead to:
1.
Threat to patient safety: Lack of medication puts sick people at risk, as this can lead to delays in receiving necessary treatment or the unavailability of vital drugs, putting their lives at risk.
2.
Economic Implications: The lack of medicines entails additional economic costs for the health system and patients.
Medical cases may be referred to other medical centers or private hospitals, increasing pressure on other MOH budget items.
3.
Pressure on health care workers: Health care workers are under pressure as a result of dealing with patients affected by drug shortages and repeatedly facing their inquiries and complaints.
4.
Social repercussions:
Increased anxiety and stress: A lack of medication can lead to an increase in anxiety and stress among patients and their families, as they live in uncertainty about the availability of the necessary treatment.
Lack of medication can affect the level of trust in the health system among citizens, who may feel that the system is unable to provide them with adequate health care.
Increased costs and social burdens: Some patients may have to incur additional costs to obtain drugs from other sources outside hospitals, affecting their financial and economic status.
After all this narrative there must be ways to overcome these dilemmas:
1.
Preparation of budgets scientifically and professionally: Hospitals should develop more accurate standards for the preparation of sub-budgets for medicines, through the analysis of previous data, estimation of future needs and other scientific and methodological foundations in the preparation of budgets and commitment to apply them accurately.
2.
Improve coordination and communication between parties: Coordination between the Ministry of Health, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies should be strengthened through the establishment of structured mechanisms for information exchange, review of invoices, and completion of claims, and not delay them.
3.
Implementation of fiscal reforms: The Government and the Ministry of Health should implement fiscal reforms that provide funding to cover this important item and pay dues in a timely manner, reduce bureaucracy in the financial audit process, and proceed with payment procedures within the timetable mechanism agreed in the tender terms.
4.
Achieving social responsibility: The government and pharmaceutical companies should adopt a social responsibility towards patients by providing these drugs and reducing their prices in the market to make them more accessible to patients while relieving part of the pressure and burden on hospitals.
Addressing the problem of drug shortages in government hospitals requires comprehensive cooperation between all concerned parties from government, Ministry of Health, hospitals, drug suppliers and patients.
To provide medicines on a permanent basis and to ensure the provision of high quality health care to the Jordanian patient.

The Jordan analysis warned that medicine shortages threaten patient safety, increase health system and patient costs, burden healthcare workers, and erode public trust.

Recommended solutions in Jordan included scientifically prepared medicine budgets, improved coordination between ministry, hospitals and suppliers, fiscal reforms to ensure timely payments, and social responsibility by government and pharmaceutical companies.

Reporting from Nigeria documented sharply rising drug prices that made medicines unaffordable for many patients and prompted increased self‑medication and reliance on traditional healers.

Title:

Content: …As drugs prices skyrocket, many now out of reach

Hospitals, patients, pharmacists groan, fight for survival

By Cosmas Omegoh

Are crises looming in the healthcare sector at the moment? The answer is in the affirmative. And there are chances that such crises are in the multiple, as indications suggest. That is the reality before everyone, although many are yet to realise it until they fall sick.

Now, take a walk down the road; stroll into that next-door pharmacy shop. Then ask the pharmacy attendants about the price of the drug you purchased the last time, about three months ago. The price must have changed unarguably considerably. Its current price tag is sure to send you screaming in shock.

And then walk into a hospital in that neigbourhood and ask to be treated for that minor ailment. You will be dazed by the bill you will be handed down  afterwards.

The reality right now is that most people who have one thing or the other to do with the healthcare sector is groaning and lamenting. Every patient currently weaving in and out of hospital at the moment in search of wellness is complaining.

Just as it is in many other sectors of the economy, so it is in the drug industry where things are particularly steadily falling apart.

Now, here is what a recent Sunday Sun investigation revealed: those in the drug supply chain are bitterly complaining that their customers now can hardly afford the prices of drugs.

Health workers on their part are worried that only a handful of their patients are becoming barely able to pay for their hospital bills. The former are feeling embittered, fearing that their facilities might collapse with time as a result of lack of patronage, revenue and job losses.

Now, experts fear that patients might be becoming sicker. Because of sharp increases in the cost of drugs and hospital bills, a lot more people might either be resorting to self medication when they are ill, or falling back to the traditional way of treating themselves.

However, a healthcare expert, Dr Abayomi Ogunbekun, believes that the situation will ease off with time. But for now, his fears are definite: that in the interim, the current regime might result to “high morbidity and high mortality.”

He said that if the situation persists, many more people might begin to fall sick more easily and then die.

Analysts insisted that the current hardship in the country and people’s inability to meet up with their needs, are coming on the margin of sweeping policies recently introduced by the current central administration.

Following, for instance, the “subsidy is gone,” declaration by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his inauguration speech, petrol prices is now hovering between N500 and N700 depending on one’s location, up from N185. Consequently, a considerable number of people are now spending far more of their income buying fuel and paying transport fares. The latter had soared highly on every route lately. Therefore, transportation is now taking out a large chunk of people’s earnings.

Besides, the recent merger of the official and parallel foreign exchange windows is seeing the Naira exchanging well above N800 with the dollar – a move experts suggest has forced a devaluation of the local currency. That is already driving prices of goods and services to the sky.

Then, there is also the hike in electricity tariff. Consumers are now forced to pay higher amounts for the electricity them consume.

Those who know insist the government’s recent policies are pushing up price and forcing the ordinary persons into multi-dimensional poverty. That most people now care much more about what to eat than anything else, with concern about their health taking the backburner – because they can no longer afford the high cost of drugs and hospital bills as much as they used to in the recent past.

Drug prices on the rise

While reflecting on the ongoing trend, a community pharmacist, Mr Damian Izuka, described the current soar-away prices of drugs in the Nigerian market as worrisome.

“We are in a moment of inflation. The price of everything now is going up; since the price of every commodity is rising, those of drugs will not be an exception. That is pure elementary economics,” he explained.

While maintaining that his colleagues in the industry are not to be blamed, he said: “The increases in the prices of drugs are not the making of any pharmacist or drugs supplier. Not at all! It is brought about by the reality of the economic situation we now face.

“Everyone knows that the cost of the dollar to the naria is up there in the clouds. And now, it is inching towards the N900 mark, with clear indication for everyone to see that towards the end of the year, it will hit N1,000. Everything seems to be heading up to the sky. Therefore, what will happen is that because we are majorly a consuming nation, prices will continue to go up until we realise the need to look inwards and do what other nations who are doing well are doing. Unless we do that, inflation will continue to bite harder.”

Fears over cost of drugs

Izuka who is a Fellow of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) is unhappy that the country might be headed for the untoward if nothing is done soon to address the rising cost of drugs.

He said: “I have this fear that what we are in now might snowball into a big crisis.

“To be honest with you, drugs are not luxury products. They are products related to wellness.

“You are sick, you are not feeling fine. Then you go for drugs; they kick in to challenge the illness and you are well again.

“Now, when the prices of those drugs go up and become unreachable to the ordinary person, I cannot imagine what will happen next.

“To tell you the truth, I pity the ordinary man in this country. I imagine the fate of the poor who will be needing drugs at such high prices. Everyone needs drugs to get well. If, therefore, they become not affordable, it will be very bitter, very unpleasant.”

Another community-based pharmacist in Lagos, Nike Abioye, also lamented the rising cost of drugs in the market.

She too revealed that some drugs which used to be fairly affordable earlier were no longer so.

“The last time I went to restock our outlet, the prices I was hearing surprised me; when I asked for (a certain antibiotic), I was told its recent retail price had hit N19,000 per pack.

“I wondered who on earth would buy it off the shelf if I purchased it.

“It was better I bought other lesser drugs which the people could afford than to tie such huge amount of money on a product no one would be ready to touch with a long pole.”

Patients lament drug cost

Also lamenting, Mr Tolu Olajire recalled that he was stunned by the high cost of drugs he was asked to purchase after a visit to a General Hospital in Lagos, stating: “We are seeing the worst of times.

“My son was having this illness which we kept treating at home; we kept buying drugs from the local shop in our area, but they couldn’t cure him.

“When we eventually visited the General Hospital, the doctor wrote drugs for him some of which we were to purchase because they didn’t have them all at the hospital   pharmacy.

“I was only able to buy the quantity the money I had could fetch so that he could start taking until I could buy more.”

Olajire said that he only had to take his child to the hospital because he felt that his ailment was attaining the level that could not be managed at home.

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“For me, local concoction (agbo) is the answer. It is either I buy the cooked stuff from the local vendor or I source the leaves and roots by myself, cook and drink.”

Then he asked: “With the high cost of hospital bills and drugs nowadays, how can we cope?”

In like manner, Mrs Agbo, a resident of Isheri-Oshun, Lagos, told our correspondent that her family and many others in her neigbourhood now depend on the services of a retired nurse in their area for treatment.

“She is our own doctor in this area – our saving grace – popular and kind too.

“Many families depend on her for their wellness.

“The hospitals in this area are very expensive. If not her, I wonder how many will be surviving this hard times.”

Drug cost impact on treatment, hospitals

Dr Ogunbekun who works for Hoarse Memorial Methodist Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, recalled that the ongoing drug crisis in the country was hitting the hospitals.

“Indeed, drugs are very, very expensive these days. The cost of things has gone up astronomically.

“But we have continued to cope.”

Dr Abayomi who is the chairman of Christian Health Association of Nigeria (CHAN), Lagos State chapter, admitted that “the true situation now is that the practice of medicine is beginning to encounter hiccups. People no longer have money to pay for their medical bills.

“Right now, our staff are demanding pay rise. Many are running away, going abroad for greener pastures. Those who are still around, if you don’t give them a better package they walk away.

“Indeed, the cost of medical treatment is skyrocketing. Now, many increasingly can’t  afford it. If you charge the way things are, not many will be able to pay except the billionaires in our midst.

“Now, if we insist on charging highly, we will end up scaring away our patients. Yet, we need to stay afloat to be able to pay our staff’s salaries.”

Dr Ogunbekun affirmed that “things are really terrible in Nigerian now. The cost of transportation alone is consuming above 80 per cent of staff’s pay. What do they do with the rest 20 per cent?”

Implication of trend for patients

Continuing, Dr Ogunbekun expressed fear that the average patients’ inability to access healthcare might mount bigger crisis for the country in the days ahead.

“The situation is sure to promote quackery. This will further lead to complications and damage to patients’ vital organs. Bigger diseases will then follow.

“We are likely going to see people with hypertension being unable to eat well let alone buy their drugs. We might likely see people dying of hypertension-related diseases, stroke and diabetes. People with asthma too will be at risk.

“I see people getting sicker and sicker; more people will go from acute to chronic conditions and eventually die. The number of deaths will then increase.”

How hospitals are coping

Dr Ogunbekun also revealed that most hospitals as a way of coping with the challenges are adopting a number of critical measures.

He said: “What we are doing now is to invent coping skills.

“Some hospitals I know are having regular engagements with their staff. They know what we generate. And we don’t want to sack anyone.

“In our situation, we cannot tell our staff to stay at home or come to work twice a week. That’s not possible. Medical practice doesn’t work that way. People must be on duty 24 hours of the day. We must have the barest minimum number of staff to operate.”

Talking about how they manage their patients, he said: “We now negotiate our bills with our patients. We have to; we now give discounts.

“Imagine how patients used to complain in the past. You can imagine how they are complaining now that the economy is looking worse.

“So, what we do now is to tell our patients the cost of our drugs. Then we play with our consultation fees, bed fees, and professional fees; we have to cut back on all that, but not on the cost of our drugs, because we must buy those drugs back, same for laboratory materials.

“If we don’t do what we are doing, we will be scaring away our patients; if they don’t come to us, how do we sustain our services?”

Optimism things will change

However, Dr Ogunbekun is upbeat that things will turn around. He believes the economy will improve if the government stays committed to improving the situation on ground.

“This economy has to change. Things have to improve. I believe with what the government is doing now, in a matter of time things will change.

“If the government will channel the resources it said it has saved so far to more productive ventures, things will turn out differently. I believe that.”

Advice to the government

Izuka believes that the government needs to kick in now to stave off the fledging drug crisis.

“It is my honest wish that the government should act fast in the best possible way to curb this current situation.

“The way it is trending, I’m sure that not long from now, many of the common drugs in the market will be very difficult to purchase.

“One of the things that ought be done now by the government is to exempt drugs from the kind of duties placed on medicament and medical devices. That way, they can be made more affordable.

“It is unfortunate that because of our kind of system, those who have the privilege of being in charge seem to know it all. Whatever they chose to do is what they go ahead to do. They don’t listen to anybody.

“The big men up there will always jet out to get the best attention overseas and upon their return, turn around to ask the rest of us to tighten our belts.

 “But the fact remains that drugs are not items you allow to go to the level where the ordinary man will not be able afford them.

 “So, one of the best things to do now ought to be to ensure that the suggested palliatives by the government be extended to the health sector to help it to survive.

“There must be subsidy extension to the drugs sector otherwise there will be bigger crisis,” he said.

BREAKING NEWS: Nigerians have now been approved to earn US Dollars; let’s show you the process and methods to earn $5000-$10,000 monthly. Click here to see the possibilities.

Nigerian hospitals described coping measures such as negotiating bills with patients, offering discounts, adjusting consultation and bed fees while maintaining drug procurement, and engaging staff to avoid layoffs amid the crisis.

Taiwan experienced its most severe drug shortages in decades driven by pandemic supply disruptions, raw material shortages linked to the Ukraine‑Russia war, shipping route disruptions that raised freight costs, and policy price cuts that led some manufacturers to withdraw from insurance programs.

Title:

Content: The epidemic disrupted the supply chain, coupled with the shortage of raw materials caused by the war between Ukraine and Russia, caused the "biggest shortage of drugs in 30 years" in Taiwan at the beginning of last year. With the coming of the Chinese New Year, patients are worried about hoarding goods, and I am afraid that the shortage of drugs will become more serious.
A domestic pharmaceutical company recently received a call from a patient, the original patient has a heart disease, has been taking self-funded drugs, but recently faced the problem of lack of drugs, the doctor can not prescribe the same drugs, so the patient urgently asked the pharmaceutical company directly.
The drug factory staff, who did not want to be named, revealed that "it is not only this patient, but these patients even set up groups to find out where they can buy drugs, forcing them to call us after they have no way out."
Wang Ming-yuan, deputy spokesman of the All Federation of Pharmacists Association, said: "Last year, the shortage of drugs was the most serious situation since the outbreak of the epidemic, resulting in lack of labor and logistics. Now, with the release of the epidemic, the shortage of drugs has slowed down slightly.
For example, many patients with allergic rhinitis have been short of medicine for four months, Wang says, "Because it contains ephedrine, which is a controlled drug, the FDA only puts two batches of raw materials a year, so it is easy to run out of medicine.
Another reason for the shortage of drugs is the price of health insurance drugs. Due to the price cut, about 36% of the market share of "tears point eye" withdrew from the health insurance market in November last year. The drug used in the past in the health insurance annual consumption of more than 2.3 million bottles, which is equivalent to 190,000 bottles per month. And...
Shen Tsai-ying, a pharmacist, criticized officials for only treating head pain and foot pain. She said that the price of "love tears" health insurance is more expensive, health insurance has not saved money at all, and now even the domestically produced "Wufu" and other artificial tears brands are all out of stock.
Shen Caiying predicts that this wave of artificial tears shortage will continue until at least the Spring Festival.
Since the implementation of the "Drug Expenses Target System" (DET) in 102 years, the National Health Insurance Administration has set the target value of annual drug expenditure to maintain a stable and reasonable range of drug expenses. Under the total payment system, effective control of drug expenditure. Last year, the total drug price was reduced by 8.18 billion yuan, and the price of 5,500 drugs was reduced.
"The price of water and electricity is rising, but the price of health insurance has been cut!"
Shen Caiying pointed out that the price of drugs is constantly being cut, and pharmaceutical companies have no choice but to withdraw from the health insurance market, which has led to a more serious shortage of drugs.
In recent years, the Red Sea has been involved in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, and it has been attacked by Yemeni youth movement organizations, endangering the traffic of commercial ships. Large shipping companies have announced that they will stop sailing in the Red Sea and switch to the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa, resulting in soaring freight costs. 180% increase.
Wang Ming-yuan laments that the situation at the freight gate will probably be the same as during the epidemic, and that the shortage of medicines will certainly increase, and with the arrival of the Chinese New Year, the public's "stockpiling" mentality will probably trigger a wave of drug snatching.
More CTWANT News
# Lack of medicine # Red Sea crisis # Lack of medicine # Original medicine

Taiwan specifically reported shortages of allergic rhinitis medicines related to limited ephedrine raw‑material batches and shortages of artificial tears, with warnings shortages could persist into the Spring Festival period.

Across the 2021–2024 reports, affected products ranged from sterile injectable generics and chemotherapy drugs to antibiotics, diabetes medications, paracetamol, ADHD drugs, and common over‑the‑counter items, and responses included rationing, therapeutic substitution, negotiated patient billing, production scale‑ups and policy proposals to improve transparency and funding.

Conclusion: Between 2021 and 2024 medication shortages affected diverse medicines worldwide and health systems coped through rationing, therapeutic substitution, negotiated patient billing, production scale‑ups, and policy proposals to increase transparency and funding.


Voice cloning uses machine learning to simulate a person’s voice by analyzing voice data and learning their speech patterns.

Historically voice cloning required technical expertise but now consumer tools—both free and paid—are widely available online.

Modern models can produce highly realistic voices from very short audio samples, with some reports claiming as little as a few seconds or a few minutes of audio can be sufficient.

Uses include entertainment, accessibility (restoring speech for medical conditions), voice assistants, and automated news anchors.

Malicious uses include scams such as fake-kidnapping calls, phishing, vishing, impersonation, and other social-engineering attacks.

Real-world examples include a 2023 fake advertisement created with AI that impersonated Tom Hanks and numerous reported kidnapping-style voice scams.

Detection is increasingly difficult because AI voices closely mimic human speech and models are multilingual and affordable, widening the threat across regions.

Policy responses proposed include clear laws defining legal and illegal uses, enforcement mechanisms, transparency requirements, restrictions in sensitive domains, certification, and ethics education.

Technical countermeasures recommended include supervising development, research into detection and prevention, and establishing expert enforcement bodies.

Practical advice to reduce harm includes setting family safe words, limiting social media exposure, tightening privacy settings, calling back or texting to verify identity, and reporting suspected abuse.

Voice cloning is a powerful, increasingly accessible technology with useful applications and growing risks; educators should weigh its benefits for materials against ethical, legal, and safety concerns and adopt verification and privacy practices.

Voice cloning uses machine learning to simulate a person’s voice by analyzing voice data and learning their speech patterns.

Title:

Content: The scary side of artificial intelligence

The pros of AI outweigh the Cons or threats in our day-to-day lives, and there’s no magic pill to protect us from the scary threats of AI.

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  • Updated On Oct 3, 2023 at 03:02 PM IST

Artificial intelligence (AI), as we all know, is the simulation of human intelligence leveraging computer systems and machines. AI programs can continuously learn and evolve with experience. In technical terms, AI systems render the output by churning and analyzing the data for correlations and patterns and help make future predictions using these patterns.

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Today AI is being used extensively in all facets of our lives starting from lifestyle, e-commerce, home appliances, automobiles, navigation, transport, healthcare, agriculture, education, financial planning, chatbots, marketing, cyber security, virtual assistant, industrial automation and many more.

Clearly, we have and are leveraging the strengths of AI to the fullest to automate the routine tasks and make it auto-learn over a period. There’s no doubt that AI has revolutionized the lives of all – organizations, consumers etc. But as they say, “Everything comes at a price”. This analogy is quite true for AI as well, there have been a lot of threats that have emerged using AI and are being utilized by the Cyber criminals to dupe the ignorant users, cause mental stress and extort money.

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I’m not going to delve into all of threats but would like to elucidate some of the real ones that have come to the surface recently:

Voice cloning or mimicry

As the name suggests, it uses machine learning algorithms to simulate anyone’s voice. It requires certain voice data to analyze and learn the specific patterns of any individual. There are certain advantages of cloning a voice that can be used in voice assistants, chatbots, navigation systems and other areas. Voice cloning has existed for a while but was restricted to experts who possess the technical knowledge to be able to use the same. But now AI Voice cloning tools are available on the open Internet that anyone can leverage with literally no technical knowledge or cost to clone anyone’s voice. All you need to do is just Google and it will pop up and get a bunch of both free and paid AI Voice cloning tools.

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In fact, recently one of the global leaders in online protection published a report stating how AI is fueling a rise in online voice scams, with just three seconds of audio required to clone a person’s voice. This is extremely creepy. Just imagine, if a Cyber-criminal clones your voice and tricks your near ones by making them believe that they are talking to you, and request for money due to any distress reasons. In fact, these are not assumptions but real-life incidents that are happening across the world every minute.

Deepfakes AI

Deepfakes AI are being used to impersonate an individual by manipulating videos, images, audios, and other content available on the social media platforms using deep learning techniques. It mainly transforms existing content from one person to another. This is another area that has been exploited by the Cyber criminals in the recent past, and there are a few deepfake cases that have made waves on the Internet. One of the most famous ones being Deepfake created by a VFX artist of one of Hollywood’s most famous male actors. This piece was so well made by rendering thousands of pictures using artificial versions of the actor. There are similar Deepfakes incidents involving other global celebrities and leaders. The damage and misuse of the deepfakes videos could be extremely dangerous for the human society and can be used by terrorists to incite riots and create nuisance.

Creating virtual people

This is another area where AI is being used to create people that do not exist. There are a lot of websites that allow you to generate a random image by just specifying the age group, gender & ethnicity, and you can continue to refresh these images at the click of a button. Be mindful of the fact that these images pertain to people that do not exist in this world. On the similar lines, there’s an emerging trend of AI news anchors that possess a human-like appearance and are fed data that they can read using text-to-speech technology. Recently, there's been a surge of AI-Driven robotic new anchors in multiple language channels. While the main objective of this initiative is to provide royalty free or cost-effective human images for branding and other purposes. However, the overuse of these technologies causes Fear of missing out (FOMO), Feeling of inadequacy, dissatisfaction, and isolation may potentially lead to psychological and emotional vulnerabilities.

One of the Hollywood movies, ‘HER’ portrayed an introverted and lonely writer (Joaquin Phoenix) who purchases an AI virtual assistant personified through a female voice to assist him in his writing job. However, when he finds out about its ability to learn and adapt, he falls in love with it. The film delves into emotional vulnerability and the impact of AI on human relationships.

Needless to say, that the pros of AI outweigh the Cons or threats in our day-to-day lives, and there’s no magic pill to protect us from the scary threats of AI. However, there are certain preventive tips that one can follow to mitigate any such risks. Do spread awareness with your family and friends:

  • Set some code words with family, and friends to verify the identity during emergency circumstances
  • Optimize social media presence by limiting your connections with only known contacts and avoid connecting with any unknown ones
  • Avoid saying ‘Yes’ as a greeting while receiving unknown calls as it can be used to authorize credit card charges or other purposes
  • Continuously update privacy settings on social media to allow viewing by friends and family only
  • Avoid clicking on any suspicious links or calls received without proper due diligence
  • Do not share your passwords and other sensitive information with anyone
  • Verify the credentials of any online information before circulating it through various mediums
  • Avoid public Wi-Fi connections offered at coffee shops or airports, which requires to enter password
  • Closely monitor the time spent by younger generation on social media and online gaming
  • Finally, in case of any suspicion, double check and report it to the host site or concerned authorities
The author is the CIO of MOVIN

Disclaimer: The views expressed are solely of the author and ETCIO does not necessarily subscribe to it. ETCIO shall not be responsible for any damage caused to any person/organization directly or indirectly.

  • Published On Oct 3, 2023 at 03:02 PM IST

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Title:

Content: Can AI help someone stage a fake kidnapping scam against you or your family?

You may feel confident in your ability to avoid becoming a victim of cyber scams. You know what to look for, and you won’t let someone fool you.

Then you receive a phone call from your son, which is unusual because he rarely calls. You hear a shout and sounds resembling a scuffle, making you take immediate notice. Suddenly, you hear a voice that you are absolutely certain is your son, screaming for help. When the alleged kidnappers come on the line and demand money to keep your son safe, you are sure that everything is real because you heard his voice.

Unfortunately, scammers are using artificial intelligence (AI) to mimic the voices of people, potentially turning these fake voices into things like kidnapping scams. This particular scam seems to be rare, but it’s happening.

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How frequent are fake kidnapping calls enhanced with AI?

Such fake emergency scams occur frequently enough that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provided warnings and examples for consumers. Hard numbers that indicate the frequency of these calls aren’t readily available, though, especially for calls known to make use of AI.

Such scams are certainly possible with current AI technology. Fake video and audio of politicians and other famous people are appearing with regularity. Aided by AI, these clips are frighteningly believable.

You may recall the incident in late 2023 involving a fake dental plan advertisement that featured Tom Hanks. AI technology created the video. Hanks had to make a social media post calling out the fake advertisement.

MORE: THE ‘UNSUBSCRIBE’ EMAIL SCAM IS TARGETING AMERICANS

How does an AI fake call work?

The AI technology creates a fake by analyzing a sampling of an audio clip of the person it wants to mimic. It uses its ability to interpret incredible amounts of data to take note of multiple characteristics of the person’s voice, allowing it to make a highly realistic fake.

Once the AI is able to create the fake audio, programmers then tell it what to say, creating a personalized message designed to sell dental plans or to convince you that your loved one is in trouble with kidnappers.

Some AI programmers that use the fake audio for helpful purposes — such as for allowing people with medical problems like ALS to regain their “speech” — claim they can mimic a voice with as little as a few minutes of audio clips. However, the more audio that’s available, the more realistic the mimicked voice should sound. Twenty minutes of audio is far better than three, for example.

As AI’s capabilities continue to expand at breakneck speed, you can expect the time requirements to shrink in future years.

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

MORE: HOW TO GUARD AGAINST BRUSHING SCAMS

Do I have to worry about falling for a fake AI audio kidnapping scheme?

Realistically, the vast majority of people don’t have to worry about a fake kidnapping scheme that originates from AI-generated audio. If your loved one has a lot of video and audio on social media, though, the scammers may be able to find enough source audio to create a realistic fake.

Even though AI makes this type of scam easier to perform, the setup process still remains too time-consuming for most scammers. After all, scammers in this type of scheme are relying on your rapidly expanding fear at receiving this type of call to cause you to miss obvious clues that would tell you it’s a fake.

The scammers may simply have a random child scream and sob uncontrollably, while allowing you to rapidly jump to the conclusion that it’s your child. This is far easier than using AI to try to source and generate audio … at least for now.

MORE: HOW SCAMMERS USE AI TOOLS TO FILE PERFECT-LOOKING TAX RETURNS IN YOUR NAME

Steps you can take to protect yourself from a fake kidnapping scam

Even though the scammers try to gain the upper hand with the suddenness of the fake kidnapping call and by catching you off guard, you have some steps you can take before and after you receive this type of call to prepare and protect yourself.

1. Ask your loved ones to keep you informed about trips: Fake kidnappers may try to convince you that the abduction is taking place outside your city. However, if you know that your loved one did not leave town, you can be confident that the call is probably a fake.

2. Set up a safe word or phrase: Set up a safe word that your loved ones should use if they ever are calling you because of a dangerous situation or because they are under duress. A scammer is not going to know this safe word. If you don’t hear the safe word, you know it’s probably a fake call.

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3. Use privacy settings on social media: Ask your family members to limit who can see their social media posts. This would make it harder for a scammer to obtain source audio that’s usable in a fake kidnapping audio call. For more information on maintaining and protecting your online privacy, click here

4. Try to text your loved one: Either during or immediately after the call, send a text message to your loved one without telling the caller. Ask your loved one to text you back immediately, so you can converse without tipping off the scammers. If you receive a text back, you can be confident the call is a fake. Consider creating a code word that you can use with the entire family. When you send this code word in a text, everyone knows it’s a serious situation that requires an immediate response.

5. Stay calm and think things through: Finally, although it is incredibly difficult to stay calm when you receive this kind of call, it’s important to keep thinking clearly. Do not panic. Regardless of whether it’s a real call or a scam call, panicking is never going to help. Listen for clues that make it obvious the call is a scam. Try to gather some information that can help you make a clear-headed judgment about the legitimacy of the call.

Kurt’s key takeaways

As AI continues to become more readily available and gains sophistication, scammers will be ready to take advantage of it. Perhaps by then, AI will even the playing field by coming up with ways to help us protect ourselves. Until then, taking steps to protect your family, such as by setting up a safe word, can give you some peace of mind.

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Answers to the most-asked CyberGuy questions:

What is the best way to protect your Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android devices from getting hacked?What is the best way to stay private, secure and anonymous while browsing the web?How can I get rid of robocalls with apps and data removal services?

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What is necessary for voice cloning to work?

What is necessary for voice cloning to work?

Historically voice cloning required technical expertise but now consumer tools—both free and paid—are widely available online.

Modern models can produce highly realistic voices from very short audio samples, with some reports claiming as little as a few seconds or a few minutes of audio can be sufficient.

Title:

Content: AI tools can replicate people ’ s voicesmibluesperspectives.com
How to protect yourself from fraudulent AI calls?
With the increasing capacity of generative AI tools, it has become easier and cheaper for scammers to create convincing fake sounds for certain people, so that these transcriptions are trained on the syllables of human speech, and can be modified to imitate almost anyone.
AI tools improve by cloning people ’ s voices, and fraudsters use these new abilities to commit fraud.
The latest models can speak many languages, so their dangers can affect almost all countries of the world.
A possible scenario.
Imagine this scenario.
You answer a random call from a family member, relentlessly explaining how a terrible car accident happened and he needs you to send money now, otherwise he will go to jail.
You can hear the desperation in his voice demanding an immediate cash transfer.
Although the voice certainly sounds like that person, and the call came from their number, you feel like something is wrong.
So, it was decided to end the call and call him immediately.
When he answers your call, he says there was no car accident, and he has no idea what you're talking about.
Well, with this action I managed to avoid a fraudulent call by artificial intelligence.
Avoid exposure to fraud
While the threat of AI-powered scams can be scary, you can stay safe by keeping a few tips in mind, the next time you receive an urgent and unexpected call.
Artificial intelligence tools can clone people ’ s voiceselearningindustry.com
Call back: It is very easy for scammers to show the call as if it came from a legitimate phone number.
Often, scammers impersonate the number they call you from, making it look like the government agency or bank is calling you, so you have to be proactive.
Whether it ’ s from your bank or a family member, anytime you get a call asking for money or personal information, go ahead and ask for a call back.
Create a secure password: A common tip is to craft a secure word that only you and your loved ones know, which you can ask them over the phone to confirm your identity.
In other words, you can negotiate in advance with your loved ones about a word or phrase that they can use to prove their true identity, if they are under duress.
Although calling back or checking through another means of communication is preferable, a safe word can be especially useful for young or elderly relatives who may otherwise be difficult to contact.
If you don ’ t have a safe word and are trying to figure out if the painful call is real, stop for a moment and ask a personal question that only the person you claim to be talking to knows the answer to.
Make sure that the question is specific enough that the fraudster cannot answer correctly with an educated guess.
Artificial intelligence tools can clone people ’ s voicesproducer.musicradiocreative.com
Understanding which voice to imitate: Deep voice cloning isn ’ t just for celebrities and politicians.
What people don ’ t realize is that by using at least 5 to 10 seconds of your voice, you may have put it on “TikTok or YouTube, ” you can easily create a copy of your voice.
Using AI tools, the outgoing voicemail message on your smartphone may be enough to replicate your voice as well.
Don ’ t give in to the emotional call: Whether it ’ s a scam or an AI-powered phone call, experienced scammers are able to build your trust in them and find your weaknesses.
So be wary of any interaction in which you feel too emotional; because the best scammers are not necessarily just the most skilled technical hackers, many of whom have a good understanding of human behavior.
If you take a moment to think about a situation and refrain from acting impulsively, this may be the moment to avoid being scammed.
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Using Artificial Intelligence to Implement the Most Dangerous Voice Fraud
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What is necessary for voice cloning to work?

What is necessary for voice cloning to work?

What is necessary for voice cloning to work?

Uses include entertainment, accessibility (restoring speech for medical conditions), voice assistants, and automated news anchors.

Title:

Content: Freedom Square (Beishe Review) Policy response strategy for artificial intelligence deep counterfeiting and voice copying technology
◎ Cai Yue Ting
Deep hypocrisy and voice copying are technologies that use artificial intelligence to generate fake or manipulative media that can be used for a variety of purposes, including entertainment, education, and journalism.
If it is abused for fraud and the dissemination of false information, it will damage the reputation and rights of the individual, and it will affect social order and national security.
Because there are major potential hazards, it is necessary to formulate relevant regulations and effective management, and it can promote the healthy development of this innovative industry.
Consolidating practice cases to standardize policy measures to manage deep counterfeiting and voice copying can go hand in hand with the following aspects:
I. Regulations:
The content of the bill should include: (1) clearly stipulate the legal and illegal use of deep counterfeiting and voice copying to protect personal and national security and rights; (2) establish effective enforcement mechanisms and regular amendments to ensure the effective implementation of the law and adapt to the rapid development of technology; (3) use ethics education and advocacy; and (4) specify appropriate punitive measures.
2. Technical supervision:
(1) Establish an effective enforcement mechanism, consisting of experts with professional knowledge and technical ability, to (1) supervise the development and application of deep counterfeiting and voice reproduction technology to ensure that the use of the technology complies with laws, regulations and ethical standards; (2) adhere to the principle of minimum intervention, and strike a balance between protecting personal privacy and preventing abuse; and (3) promote the sound development of the industry.
Restrictions on use: Restrictions on the use of deep counterfeiting and voice copying technologies, especially in sensitive areas such as finance, politics, law, and medicine, and where they may have a serious impact on personal privacy.
Transparency and Authentication: (1) Require developers and users of deep counterfeiting and voice copying technologies to provide transparency to ensure that users are informed and consent to the use of their data.
(2) Establish a certification mechanism to ensure that only accredited institutions and individuals can use these technologies.
(4) Technical research: Encourage research on deep counterfeiting and voice copying technologies, especially research on detecting and preventing abuse, and research on how to protect personal privacy.
Participation, use of ethics education and public awareness: to strengthen the education of the public and related industries, and to raise awareness of the potential risks of deep counterfeiting and voice copying technology.
Authorities should provide corresponding preventive measures and education and training.
The development of deep counterfeiting and voice reproduction technology has brought many potential risks, but it is also an integral part of the country ’ s sustainable development.
This industry requires the participation of multiple stakeholders, how to ensure that these technologies are used responsibly and ethically through legal, technical and educational means, and to minimize their potential hazards, to the rapid and vigorous development of the industry is a matter of urgency.
(The author is Deputy Secretary General of Beishe, Director of Research and Development of the Institute for Information Technology)
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Editor 's Choice

Malicious uses include scams such as fake-kidnapping calls, phishing, vishing, impersonation, and other social-engineering attacks.

Title:

Content: How Nigeria, Other African Countries Can Be Safe From Emerging Cyberthreats | Independent Newspaper Nigeria

How Nigeria, Other African Countries Can Be Safe From Emerging Cyberthreats

0 8

Global threat intelligence continues to grow as geopolitical and economic developments create an increasingly complicated and uncertain world for both businesses and consumers.

Threat actors continue to evolve with new players and threats emerging globally, in addition to novel ways of leveraging or executing older tactics and approaches.

Security experts should assume that no organisation or individual is truly safe from a cyberthreat and that there is an increasing urgency to monitor and research threats resurging and evolving at a rapid pace and scale.

According to Carlo Bolzonello, country lead for Trellix South Africa, “various countries around the world are looking to decouple from Western financial markets through moves like the expansion of the BRICS bloc and the de-dollarisation of their financial markets.

“As a result, Africa will play a more important role in resource-based economies and nation-states. Both allies and oppositions are increasingly interested in gaining leverage here through any data they can extract.”

Ransomware remains an ever-present plague for many organisations worldwide as these families increase in scale and sophistication – including coordinating and partnering with other threat actors through underground forums.

Socially engineered ploys to trick and deceive individuals into compromising their devices or personal information are becoming more cunning and targeted and, simultaneously, harder for both victims and security tools to catch and identify.

“The cyber landscape today is more complex than ever before,” says John Fokker, head of Threat Intelligence at Trellix Advanced Research Centre. “Cybercriminals from ransomware families to nation-state actors are getting smarter, quicker, and more coordinated in retooling their tactics to follow new schemes – and we don’t anticipate that changing in 2024.

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“To break away from escalating attacks and start outsmarting and outmanoeuvring threat actors, all industries need to embrace a cyberstrategy that is constantly vigilant, actionably comprehensible, and adaptable to new threats. That is how we can ensure a one-step lead over cybercriminals in the coming year.”

READ ALSO:  Political Parties Drag DSIEC To Court, Seeks Stay Of Action On Delta LG Polls

Cybersecurity experts and threat researchers from the Trellix Advanced Research Centre team have compiled their predictions for trends, tactics, and threats that organisations should keep top of mind as we approach 2024:

Recent advancements in AI have given rise to LLMs capable of generating human-like text. While LLMs exhibit remarkable technological potential for positive applications, their dual-use nature also makes them vulnerable to malicious exploitation. One significant security concern associated with LLMs lies in their potential misuse by cybercriminals for large-scale attacks.

Leading LLMs like GPT-4, Claude, and PaLM2 have achieved unparalleled capabilities in generating coherent text, answering intricate queries, problem-solving, coding, and numerous other natural language tasks. The availability and ease of use of these advanced LLMs have opened a new era for cybercriminals.

Unlike earlier, less sophisticated AI systems, today’s LLMs offer a potent and cost-effective tool for hackers, eliminating the need for extensive expertise, time, and resources. And this value has not been lost on the cybercriminal underground.

Setting up the infrastructure for large-scale phishing campaigns has become cheaper and more accessible – even for individuals with limited technical skills. Tools like FraudGPT and WormGPT are already prominent in cybercriminal networks. Popular darknet forums today often serve as platforms for the coordinated development of phishing emails, counterfeit webpages, as well as the creation of malware and vulnerabilities designed to evade detection to thousands of users already.

These LLM applications can assist in mitigating considerable challenges encountered by cybercriminals – and we expect the development and malicious usage of these tools to accelerate in 2024.

The internet is now filled with tools that use AI to make people’s lives easier – from creating presentations, generating voice notes, writing argumentative papers, and much more.

Many best-known tools like ChatGPT, Bard, or Perplexity AI come with security mechanisms to prevent them from writing malicious code. This is not the case for all AI tools available in the market, however, especially the ones being developed on the dark web.

It is only a matter of time until cybercriminals have access to an unrestricted generative AI, which can write malicious codes, create deepfake videos, and assist with social engineering schemes and more.

READ ALSO:  Several Injured In Church Suicide Bombing In Indonesia

This will make it easier than ever for unskilled actors to execute sophisticated attacks at scale. Furthermore, widespread leveraging of such tools to exploit vulnerabilities will make root cause analysis of attacks more challenging for defenders. We consider this to be an area to monitor carefully in 2024.

The rise of scams involving AI-generated voices are a concerning trend that is set to grow in the coming year, posing significant risks to individuals and organisations.

These scams often involve social engineering tactics where scammers use psychological manipulation techniques to deceive individuals into taking specific actions such as disclosing personal information or executing financial transactions. AI-generated voices play a crucial role in this as they can instill trust and urgency in victims making them more susceptible to manipulation.

Recent advancements in artificial intelligence have greatly improved the quality of AI-generated voices. They can now closely mimic human speech patterns and nuances making it increasingly difficult to differentiate between real and fake voices.

Furthermore, the accessibility and affordability of AI voice generation tools have democratised their use. Even individuals without technical expertise can easily employ these tools to create convincing artificial voices, empowering scammers.

Detecting AI-generated voices in realtime is a significant challenge, particularly for individuals who are not familiar with the technology. The increasing authenticity of AI voices makes it difficult for victims to distinguish between genuine and fraudulent communications.

Additionally, these scams are not limited by language barriers allowing scammers to target victims across diverse geographic regions and linguistic backgrounds.

Phishing and vishing attacks are both on the rise. It’s only a logical next step that as the technology for AI-generated voices improves, threat actors will leverage these applications with victims on live phone calls – impersonating legitimate entities to amplify the effectiveness of their scams.

As ransomware groups are primarily financially driven, it’s unsurprising to see them find new ways to extort their victims for more money and pressure them to pay the ransom.

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It would not be surprising for the healthcare, social media, education, and SaaS industries to come further under fire in 2024 from these groups.

Cyberattacks, such as spear phishing and sophisticated impersonation, continue to use email as the main entry point because it can be highly customised and focuses on increased levels of successful exploitation.

The rise of QR code-based phishing campaigns represents an alarming trend. As our daily lives become increasingly reliant on digital interactions attackers are adapting their tactics to exploit new vulnerabilities. QR codes, originally designed for their convenience and efficiency, have become an enticing tool for cybercriminals to use as an attack vector.

One of the primary reasons behind the expected increase in QR code-focused phishing campaigns is their inherent trustworthiness. QR codes became essential in various aspects of daily life during the Covid-19 pandemic – from contactless payments to restaurant menus.

As a result, people have grown accustomed to scanning QR codes without much thought assuming they are safe. This sense of trust can be exploited by cybercriminals who embed malicious links or redirect victims to fake websites. We expect that QR codes will also be used to distribute widely recognised malware families.

The ease of QR code creation and distribution has lowered the barrier for entry into the world of phishing and malware distribution. Anyone can generate a QR code and embed malicious links within, making it a cost-effective and accessible method for cybercriminals to target victims.

Traditional email products often fail to detect these attacks which makes them an attractive option for cybercriminals today. As attackers continue to refine their tactics and craft convincing phishing lures, the potential for success in these campaigns will be on the rise.

To combat the growing threat of QR code-focused phishing, users must exercise caution when scanning codes – especially from unknown or suspicious sources.

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Real-world examples include a 2023 fake advertisement created with AI that impersonated Tom Hanks and numerous reported kidnapping-style voice scams.

What are some risks regarding AI voice clning?

Detection is increasingly difficult because AI voices closely mimic human speech and models are multilingual and affordable, widening the threat across regions.

What has the US Federal Trade Commission warned about the use of voice cloning tools?

Difficult to distinguish from human voice

What has the US Federal Trade Commission warned about the use of voice cloning tools?

Difficult to distinguish from human voice

Policy responses proposed include clear laws defining legal and illegal uses, enforcement mechanisms, transparency requirements, restrictions in sensitive domains, certification, and ethics education.

Technical countermeasures recommended include supervising development, research into detection and prevention, and establishing expert enforcement bodies.

Practical advice to reduce harm includes setting family safe words, limiting social media exposure, tightening privacy settings, calling back or texting to verify identity, and reporting suspected abuse.

Voice cloning is a powerful, increasingly accessible technology with useful applications and growing risks; educators should weigh its benefits for materials against ethical, legal, and safety concerns and adopt verification and privacy practices.