Improved diabetes care for healthier lives in Colombia
Sanofi joins Business Call to Action with a patient-focused programme for Colombians at the base of the economic pyramid (BoP)
New York, 7 March 2016 - Sanofi, a leading provider of diabetes treatment and related services, has joined the Business Call to Action (BCtA) with a diabetes-management programme for patients served by the Colombia's subsidized healthcare system.
Diabetes is a global health challenge affecting 415 million people worldwide; this number is expected to increase in the future. When not properly treated, diabetes can lead to complications including amputation and retinal blindness, which can have enormous costs in terms of loss of productivity and income, devastating both patients and their families. Yet it is well known that complications of diabetes can be reduced by improving blood glucose levels through increased physical activity and a proper diet as well as with timely treatment with oral antidiabetic drugs and/or insulin therapy
In Colombia, more than 800,000 people have been diagnosed with diabetes. Data shows that there are a very high proportion of undiagnosed diabetics within the subsidized national healthcare program. It also shows that among those already diagnosed, specially within insulin dependent diabetics, there is a high percentage under treated or inadequately treated, leading to elevated rates of avoidable complications. Similarly, the percentage rate of patients on insulin therapy within the subsidized national healthcare program is lower than the national average, which leads to worse health outcomes among patients within this regime.
With this case scenario, Sanofi sees a high potential for scaling up its inclusive diabetes care model among subsidized patients in Colombia. The potential impact, both in terms of health outcomes and in healthcare costs, strongly motivated us to develop this integrated management model for diabetics served by Colombia's subsidized national healthcare program said Camilo Gonzalez, Sanofi's Diabetes Access Manager. This is significant for Sanofi, since we are a major player in providing generic medicines and branded therapies, as well as diabetes-related services to Colombia's healthcare system. We are pleased to be recognized by the Business Call to Action and look forward to work with them and our fellow members in the years to come.
Sanofi's inclusive business employs a patient-centric healthcare model designed to address local barriers to diabetes care for people living at the base of the economic pyramid (BoP), who also have limited access to services or products. By 2017, Sanofi will help HMOs belonging to the subsidized national healthcare program to reach and track up to 450,000 people, which is the estimated number of persons at risk of having diabetes in the subsidized regime.
This pilot initiative targets to empower at least 90% of diabetic patients belonging to subsidized regime and under Sanofi insulin therapies, in a program aimed to take control of their care through healthy lifestyle choices, effective use of insulin therapy and optimal nutrition. It also intends to help patients stop the progression of the disease and prevent avoidable complications with awareness and education. Complementing this effort, Sanofi will provide medical- and diabetes-related training to 1,000 rural doctors serving subsidized patients.
Sanofi's inclusive business model is a strong example of the private sector meeting the healthcare needs of poor people while furthering the global development agenda, said Sahba Sobhani, BCtA's Acting Project Manager. We welcome Sanofi's membership in the Business Call to Action and look forward to sharing the company's knowledge and experience with our members and the broader private-sector community.
For further information:
Business Call to Action: Tatiana Bessarabova at Tatiana@businesscalltoaction.org
Sanofi: Camilo Gonzalez at Camilo.gonzalez@sanofi.com
Membership in the Business Call to Action does not constitute a partnership with its funding and programme partners, UNDP or any UN agency