The equipment, which was presented to the ministry in Accra last Thursday, included eight glucometers, 80 boxes of 50 test strips, 160 boxes of 50 lancets, 4 HBA1C Analyzer, 4 boxes of HBA1C reagent or strips and 4 6-lead ECG.

The others are 4 Monofilament, 4 MAPA, 4 Ankle Brachial Indexes, 4 Aterial Dopplers and 4 fundoscopies. The beneficiary facilities are the National Diabetes Centre, the Korle bu Teaching Hospital, 37 Military Hospital Diabetes Centre, the Sunyani Regional Hospital and the Tamale Teaching Hospital.

The gesture is on the basis of a three-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) Sanofi signed with the ministry in April this year. The agreement, among others, was to enable the country to purchase affordable high-quality Sanofi analogue insulin products for people living with diabetes.

The agreement also facilitated the deployment of diabetes management solutions at diabetes centres in Accra, Sunyani and Tamale, where 500 healthcare professionals would benefit from a targeted medical training programme.

In addition, Sanofi will 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.
 

Significant progress

In a speech read on his behalf, the Minister of Health, Dr Benard Okoe Boye, said the gesture marked a significant progress in ongoing national efforts to enhance health care, particularly in the management and treatment of diabetes.

He said diabetes was an increasing health concern in the country, affecting thousands of individuals, families and the healthcare system. “As we are all aware, effective diabetes care requires not only access to quality medication but also the necessary diagnostic tools and medical equipment to manage the disease effectively.

“This donation from SANOFI is therefore a crucial step towards improving care for those living with diabetes.“On behalf of the ministry, I am grateful to receive this generous donation of essential medical equipment from SANOFI,” he said.

Dr Okoe Boye said the equipment would benefit four diabetes management facilities  selected across the country to ensure that even those in most remote communities had access to diabetes care .

He gave an assurance that all stakeholders supporting the national fight against non-communicable diseases would be recognised, and that the equipment would be used effectively.

He thanked all stakeholders for their continuous support. The Sanofi General Medicines Affordable Strategy Lead, Stephane Gokou, said the company’s ambition included delivering better care and improving the quality of life of those living with diabetes around the world.

“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.

Both parties are committed to doing a regular follow-up to achieve all the objectives and challenges so that we build on a strong start,” he said. He said the joint approach in the country, which SANOFI intended to mirror elsewhere over time, had come at the time when people in Africa had been estimated to experience the highest increase in diabetes globally.

He said Sanofi was strengthening its long-standing commitment to improve access to diabetes care in low- and middle-income countries and under-served communities worldwide through a series of innovative partnerships with healthcare authorities in countries where comprehensive care had not previously been widely available.