Johannesburg, July 27 - Chinese drugs with Indian labels are flooding West Africa, seriously impacting attempts by Indian pharmaceutical companies to enter the African market, according to the Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil).

'Drugs of Chinese origin are reaching Nigeria with labels saying these are made in India,' Pharmexcil executive director P.V. Appaji told IANS.

'We have to be extremely careful in ensuring that only genuine drugs exported from India and protected drugs are made available to the African public,' Appaji said, adding: 'Worldwide, access to low cost generics is under threat from counterfeits, generic violations or local laws, but that is something that we can work out together.'

According to him, the potential for India and South Africa to cooperate to push generic drugs was 'excellent'.

'I found that the South African government is well aware of this, and is trying to take care of it by increasing the penetration of generic drugs throughout South Africa,' Appaji said.