Rwandan Government Subsidizes Cost Of Drugs For Mental Health Patients

Rwandan Government Subsidizes Cost Of Drugs For Mental Health Patients

More and more, Rwanda is proving that it’s set on being a country that puts the survival of its citizens first.

According to AllAfrica, the country’s Ministry of Health, in partnership with Johnson & Johnson, is subsidizing the cost of drugs for mental health patients.

World Health Organization (WHO) statistics indicate that mental illness affects 1 in 4 people globally and schizophrenia affects more than 21 million people worldwide.

More than 90% of people with untreated schizophrenia live in low and middle-income countries.

Prices are being slashed by up to 70% in what is a 5-year deal with the pharmaceutical giant.

Drugs for Schizophrenia, which the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) has said accounts for 26% of mental illnesses in the country, are being slashed from Rwf30,000 (about ₦13,000) down to Rwf5,000 (about ₦2100).

The Director of Psychiatric Care at RBC, Jean Damascene Iyamuremye, said:

Risperdal was introduced 5 years ago. In the beginning, one dose was at Rwf100,000 for patients without health insurance – they required three doses a year. It has since reduced to Rwf 30,000 but still many people would not afford it. Now, we expect the price to reduce up to Rwf5,000 thanks to this partnership.