To help address the growing incidence of diabetes and hypertension in Nigeria, the Delta State Government and multinational pharmaceutical company, Sanofi Aventis yesterday (October 22) signed an agreement to ensure access to specialized care in the management of the two diseases in Delta State.
The Chairman, Delta State Contributory Health Commission, Dr. Isaac Akpoveta, signed on behalf of the state government while the General Manager/Country Chair, Nigeria-Ghana, Pharm. Folake Odediran signed on behalf of Sanofi at the Commission in Asaba.
Dr. Akpoveta, who could not hide his joy, said that the state Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa’s administration places a high premium on the health of Deltans, thus the establishment of the contributory Health Insurance Scheme.
He described the signing of the MoU as a partnership that would work for the benefit of Deltans and the company, adding that no stone would be left unturned in achieving universal healthcare delivery system for Deltans.
In her remarks, Odediran said Sanofi’s mission is empowering life, adding that the signing of the MoU, would strengthen the healthcare delivery system in the state, especially in the rural areas. She expressed optimism that the capacity of medical personnel would be upscaled, saying that their aim was to ascertain the healthcare needs of the state with a view to offering help or assistance.
She said that the partnership with Delta was due to the fact that the state has a model that is already operational, but however, pointed out that the company has its focus on the entire country. She described diabetes and hypertension as major public health concern because they impose significant economic burdens on governments, patients and care-givers.
“However, it has also been established that proper disease awareness and good quality of care often lead to very positive outcomes for these conditions. Access to quality care remains a critical need in our environment,” she said.
Odediran further said that the company would be working in collaboration with stakeholders to empower people and healthcare practitioners with the right disease information and capacity to effectively manage the diseases.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the Commission, Dr. Ben Nkechika, who gave an overview of the commission, disclosed that a strategy has been adopted by the commission to reach the rural communities, adding that their ultimate goal was to ensure effective and efficient service delivery.