The Ministry of Health and Sanofi have signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to increase diabetes care delivery in Ghana.
The MoU was to endorse a long-standing commitment to access diabetes care in low- and middle-income nations and underserved areas worldwide.
The Minister for Health, Mr Kwaku Agyeman- Manu, at the signing ceremony on Friday in Accra noted that persons with diabetes are more likely to experience further complications such as blindness, amputation and cardiac emergencies, among others which place a huge cost on the affected and the healthcare system.
“It is against this background that the Ministry is making efforts to find ways of assisting persons living with diabetes, including what we are witnessing today.”
He stated that the partnership between the Ministry and Sanofi was to find solutions in four Ghanaian diabetes centers, where 500 healthcare professionals would benefit from a targeted medical training programme.
“In addition, Sanofi would co-develop a digital solution to help physicians, nurses, pharmacists and community healthcare workers to better support more than 5,000 people living with diabetes in Ghana, as well as disease awareness, screening, and training for healthcare professionals. This MoU would provide patient support initiatives and measures designed to help strengthen the health system,” he added.
Mr Agyeman-Manu noted that the MoU would ensure that diabetes care is made more accessible to patients in remote areas through regional centers.
He said the main objectives for the MoU was to improve awareness and promote early diagnosis.
“This would be achieved through better and more widely available training for healthcare professionals. We will also introduce digital solutions that improve diabetes management,” he emphasized.
According to the minister, the government has shown a strong commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals that form the foundation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and expansion, making diabetes care more accessible at lower costs.
“We are happy that Sanofi would work with us on these initiatives,” he added.
On his part, the Executive Vice President, General Medicines for Sanofi, Mr Olivier Charmeil, said it was their desire to provide better care and raise the standard of living for people with diabetes with no boundaries.
“We see this as a shared responsibility with healthcare systems and we are committed to fully playing our part. In this context, we are proud to work closely with the Ministry of Health in Ghana and look forward to taking the learnings from this alliance forward in other countries. More broadly, we continue to examine various healthcare access models to determine which approaches best meet specific local needs and opportunities,” he emphasized.
Grace Acheampong, ISD
