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.
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