In February 2013 Sanofi signed a 5-year partnership with the Minister of Public Health in Madagascar to improve the approach to the healthcare system in the area of epilepsy and mental health. The pilot program has been implemented in five regions (Analamanga, Vakinankaratra, Amoron’i Mania, Vatovavy-Fitovinany and Sofia) in the country, representing a population of 4.4 million. According to the data, a door-to-door survey suggests that 34% of the Madagascar population (46% in the Antananarivo 5 area) will experience at least one mental disorder during their life .
The project has two specific objectives: 1. Training primary healthcare professionals on diagnosing and treating mental disorders. 2. Raising awareness among the general public about mental health disorders, through a set of Behavior-Change-Communication (BCC) interventions.
To date, 102 GPs have been trained through face-to-face training workshops, followed by individualized supervision sessions with a specialist. Several BCC materials in Malagasy language have been developed, and disseminated. An estimated 1,478,000 people have been reached through local TV and radio programs, in addition to the 4,641 teachers and children involved in epilepsy school awareness activities.