what is it's a problem that one round of it out of developed nations don't have to worry os to that about. there, only 1 percent of medicines on sale are fake. but in emerging nations in south america, asia and africa, the figure can exceed 30 percent. one us study showed that worldwide sales of counterfeit medicines could be as high as 95 billion dollars. and then there's the human cost. counterfeit medicine is killing people. >> we're on the outskirts of veracruz, on mexico's east coast. among the occasional stonebuilt house: a lot of makeshift huts. this is where the vazquez ortega family live. they're still grieving the loss of little gael, who died in hospital of leukaemia two years ago. >> this was when he was four. he was full of life and loved playing with his friends. that's gael about a month before i took him to the clinic for the last time. here, in one of the city's biggest state hospitals is where diana vazquez ortega's son was treated. the child's prognosis was good. he was prescribed a yearlong course of chemotherapy. >> the doctor told me back then that he was going to give him a new kind of treatment, a new kind of medication. but despite the chemotherapy with this "new cancer medication", the young patient's condition deteriorated rapidly, according to gael's mother, who is training to be a nurse. >> the tumour started growing again and it became twice the size. the tumour became more and more aggressive during the chemotherapy. the entire course of therapy didn't have any positive effect. >> gael did not survive. after his death, it emerged that more than 700 children diagnosed with cancer were allegedly given water instead of chemotherapy. state prosecutors are looking into the scandal it is not clear whether hospital staff are also under investigation. the former governor of veracruz, javier duarte, was arrested this april. investigators believe that duarte and other highranking politicians were involved in the case allegedly lining their own pockets from the sales of the fake medicine. his successor announced the news: >> we now have the results of the lab tests. they show that the medication that was passed off as a chemotherapy drug was a useless fake. it was distilled water. children were treated with this fake medication. we see that as a crime, an attack on the lives of these children. >> in the national mexican cancer center, the head oncologist still can't believe what has happened. >> we've never had anything on this scale before in the mexican health system. what happened in veracruz is a tragedy that goes beyond any medical dimension: a family with a child suffering from leukaemia with an 80 percent chance of survival now has to live with the thought that their child died because he was treated with water. staff at the state cancer clinic in xalapa are believed to have been involved in the illegal dealings together with health ministry staff in veracruz, say investigators. academic experts in the field are not surprised: >> the counterfeiting of medicines is one of the most profitable businesses where you see the private sector and public officials within the state engaging in organized crime. all this criminal organization involved in the counterfeiting of medicines go all the way to the top to governor duarte in the case of veracruz, to many of his ministers in the case of duarte, so it is criminal organization where the state becomes the criminal organization. and this is going on all over mexico, unfortunately. and the cases that are coming up are just the tip of the iceberg. as well as losing their son, gael's parents have lost their faith in doctors, and the state. >> it hurts very much because you don't expect it. apart from going through the whole business, you are just never prepared or ready to watch the person who has practically become your whole life die. the counterfeiting of medicines with the knowledge of the mexican authorities hasn't been restricted to chemotherapy drugs alone. fake drugs are also sold across the counter in mexican pharmacies. >> there are an increasing number of cases involving fake medicines in mexico. any average citizen would be extremely aware of the fact that it's very likely that if you go to a pharmacy that you may be hit by fake medicines of all sorts. this scandal has deeply shaken the faith of patients in doctors and drugs not just in mexico. the fukushima disaster that occurred in march 2011 was a terrifying reminder of the risks associated with nuclear power. but around the world many nations remain convinced that it's necessary. in 2016, 447 nuclear reactors in 31 countries were in operation. a further 60 are currently in construction. there is still no solution to the question of what to do with the hundreds of thousands of tons of radioactive nuclear waste generated over the last few decades. 50 yet ghana in west africa a country where electricity outages are commonplace sees nuclear power as the answer to its energy problems. >> even in remote rural districts, it is becoming easy for farmers and herders to charge their mobile phone. mobile solar panels are becoming a common sight in many parts of africa for smallscale, individual or home use. but comprehensive electrification remains a distant dream in most countries on the continent. unstable, aging grids and problems with power plants mean frequent power outages. ghana is no exception. last year even saw public demonstrations because of the poor power provision. there are plans to improve the situation. here in a suburb of the capital accra is the ghana atomic energy commission. a test reactor has been in operation here for years. but why opt for nuclear power in a country where the sun almost always shines? >> nuclear is very clean energy and very sustainable, too. and for sure you can't rely on solar to power your industry. we're talking about a base load that is more sustainable and reliable. then you can also support it with renewables like solar. the dream of a nuclear reactor for ghana goes back to the country's first government after independence. president kwame nkrumah hoped that russia would provide the west african nation with a research reactor. but then nkrumah was ousted from power. the reactor building remained empty and its cooling towers never went into operation. later, the nuclear plans were revived. the current test reactor, which was made in china, has been operating for over 20 years. it remains online even though nuclear power has fallen out of favour in some countries. >> with everything that you do, you need to be careful. when you're eating you have to be careful. how much energy, amount of food you eat, what material goes into your stomach. so the whole universe, every should be very careful and very safety conscious. the ghana atomic energy commission is currently building a training centre for all countries that work with this type of reactor. it will enable people to practice using a scale model. they're currently waiting for new fuel rods from china for the actual test reactor made from non weapons grade uranium. don't ghanaians have any concerns about nuclear power? >> yes, of course, because especially in africa. you have heard of boko haram and stuff like that. and those people could strike at any time. so once you have such material, you know that you can be a target. a short way down atomic road, on proton street is the school of nuclear and allied sciences. it's a big complex and a power outage has caused the diesel generator to kick in. the institute hasn't exactly been overrun by students. more interest had been expected. but the director of the atomic energy commission still firmly believes that nuclear power has a future in the country. >> ghana decided to go for industrialization. we want to push our economy from a lower level to a middlesized economy and then to become a developed country. but if we really want to do that, then the first thing we have to attempt to solve is the energy problem. because without energy no work can be done. >> however, this generator repairman has seen his workload diminish because ghana's electricity supply problem has improved a little this year. he believes nuclear energy will further ease the situation. >> i think the nuclear power plans are good. if the nuclear power plant produces enough energy, i won't have to repair any more generators and i'll be able to find myself a better job. >> but that doesn't look as if it will be on the cards any time soon. the atomic energy commission doesn't reckon with electricity produced by nuclear power coming on stream before 2029. >> my name is guitteye maimouna and i live in abidjan, ivory coast. i have three sisters and brothers. my mother is a dressmaker and my father is a chauffeur . in my free time i meet friends and we hang out a bit. and then we might go walks for around the neighbourhood. i like the music of serge beynaud because he can sing very well. he is a singer that i really love! it's not like here. for example, children in other countries have fresh milk. and we don't. our generation has it easier than our parents did. we children have it easier. they lived in different circumstances. we have mobile phones. they didn't exist back then. >> time now for our global ideas series, when we meet people dedicated to conserving our natural world. this week we head to lake skadar in the balkan peninsula, the largest lake in southern europe. reporter kerstin schweizer met conservationists keen to protect this natural paradise, and investors keen to develop it. and no wonder it's a bastion of freshwater biodiversity and one of the largest bird reserves in europe. how come i've never heard of this lake? situated between montenegro and albania, lake skadar is the largest inland body of water in the balkans. it's deserted. villages are few and far between. it's just a vast expanse of unspoilt nature. >> ?skadar lake is the home of more than 280 different species of birds. so its one of the richest bird hot spots in europe containing more than half of the european species. >> including dalmatian pelicans although sightings are rare. ornithologist andrej vizi from the natural history museum of montenegro knows exactly where we're most likely to catch a glimpse of them and sure enough, there they are. >> the pelicans are the largest fresh water birds in the world. this means exactly this species we have here on skadar lake, the dalmatian pelican. their wing span is regularly over two meters and in the bigger specimens can even be >> the good news is that their numbers are increasing. the shallow waters and peace and quiet make lake skadar an ideal habitat. but what has most contributed to the recent rise in the dalmatian pelican population is an international conservation project. floating breeding platforms have been mounted. it's not uncommon for pelican chicks to drown when the lake floods as it frequently does. unfortunately, our arrival has scared the pelicans off. but the heaps of nests are proof positive that the pelicans appreciate the breeding platforms. andrej vizi has already counted 60 chicks this year. a record number! it's lovely here on lake skadar. the birds. the tranquillity. the picturesque villages. it's not even hard to reach, and i'm surprised it hasn't been discovered as a tourist destination. i meet ivan zindovic who's banking on it happening soon. he's in charge of what's about to become a massive construction site. the lake skadar national park will soon be home to a holiday resort. according to the website, it will comprise a highend hotel, luxury villas, a restaurant, a private jetty and spectacular views. the project adheres to the highest environmental standards, says zindovic. he insists the region will benefit economically from the new resort. >> first of all we are going to create jobs. for the people. so they will have a reason to stay. they can make their homes and their families sustainable. the second is that we are going to buy the products from them, we are going to buy the wine they are producing, food that they are producing. organic food of course. and we are going to give them a reason to stay. environmental activists beg to differ. many believe it could pave the way for even more construction in the conservation area. >> bianca works on the pelican conservation project and opposes large scale projects of this kind. >> my vision that is best for skadar lake is to go back to the local communities. theres a lot of values there. theres their culture and historical heritage that is beautiful. they have beautiful music heritage, its really undiscovered treasure. some in the village of poddhum imagine tourists enjoying this natural bathing area one day. there's no shortage of locally grown produce. and many homes have empty rooms that could be let to visitors. emin cunmuljaj (sprich emin zunmulljai) has founded an initiative to boost local tourism. it pains him to see the growing number of people leaving poddhum because there's no work here. he welcomes the pelican conservation project. the village is close to the dalmatian pelican colony, and home to a new ranger base. bijanka prakljacic wold like to see more local support for the project. she has nothing against 'eco tourism'. >> if the local community is the one who is organising this type of offer and have the pelicans as their business partner as it were they will protect the colony. and im sure that the rangers will have much less to do. protection is vital. >> webcam images show just how sensitive the pelicans are to any form of disturbance. for now, the few people at large in the conservation area tend to be fishermen who mainly come at night. they scare away the pelicans which fly off and abandon the eggs they're hatching. close to the colony, we encounter a fishing net that shouldn't be here. it contains a few fish, water scorpions, a water rat and a snake. sensitive dalmatian pelicans, eager investors, fishermen in need of a livelihood by the end of my trip, i've realised that lake skadar is by no means as deserted as i'd thought. it's likely that a lot will change here in the years to come. i hope that whatever development takes place it won't spoil this breathtakingly beautiful region >> there might not be many tourists in montenegro but there are plenty in greece. so much so, in fact, that local culture is being eroded. >> with its black volcanic sand, perissa is one of the most popular beaches on santorini. it starts to fill up in early april, and stays busy until october. european tourists have long been flocking here, even in times of economic crisis. and an increasing number of chinese tourists are now joining them. 150,000 in 2016 alone! their numbers are growing by 20 percent a year. on average they spend three days here, sightseeing, taking photos and soaking up that special santorini atmosphere. >> it is so beautiful here. in our country we cannot see such things. and because we're on our honeymoon. i think it's one of the best places to spend honeymoon. santorini is wasting no time adapting to its new guests. >> the lunchtime entertainment might still be traditional, but these days the restaurants menus are often in chinese. the owner of this taverna, giannis, has german roots. around 40 percent of his cutomers these days are chinese. they're good for business even if they don't tend to tip much, he says. >> they're not too fussy, they just point at the picture and say 'i'll have that'. you bring it to them and they're happy. they're not like europeans who always have specific demands and want the sauce on the side and no mushrooms or whatever. >> santorini's main town, fira, has famously spectacular views. many chinese couples come here to get married. 1,500 euros upwards for a pictureperfect wedding. all that's missing are the wedding guests. antonia veskou and dimitra bratika are wedding planners who cater to chinese clients. at the moment, they say, chinese couples come by themselves. but they predict that greece will soon be playing host to huge chinese wedding parties. >> they're very open to other cultures and they're really keen to learn about greek history. but in many respects they lack experience. they'd still prefer to eat chinese food and when we organise trips, they like to do things their way. >> and that explains why asian restaurants are booming here. it's a development that suits the chinese tourists. but local hotel and restaurant owners have mixed feelings about it. manolis karamolegos says that the growing numbers of chinese visitors ensure his hotel is full even offseason, but on the other hand, he's not keen on the way the island is changing to accomodate them. >> the challenge we're facing is figuring out how we greek society and greek businessowners can preserve what makes this island so special. we can't gear ourselves to a particular category of visitors. we've got to maintain our uniqueness, and that comprises local products, local culture and architecture our local character. >> lan xiao cheng ins't interested in these issues. he's opened a travel bureau in athens specifically for chinese tourists. greece still isn't a wellknown holiday destination for most chinese, he says and that's something he plans to change. >> it's time to raise the profile of greece. there still isn't much publicity about greece in china. we need to spark more chinese interest in greece, the greek islands. >> a scenic greek sunset that's what the chinese want to see, and that's what they get. it won't be long before greece is welcoming some 1.5 million chinese visitors per year once direct flights from beijing to athens get going later this year. and as for this summer, santorini is already fullybooked. >> that's all for today thanks for joining us. and remember, we love hearing from you. drop us a line to [email protected] or visit us on facebook dw global society. bye for now! 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