Biogaran participates in a screening operation for hypertension and diabetes in Benin

Pobè, March 17, 2023 – The pharmaceutical company Biogaran, leader in generic drugs in France, has participated in a screening operation for cardio-metabolic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, alongside healthcare professionals in the region of Pobè, Adja-Ouèrè, Kétou (PAK) 

This action, which comes shortly after several awareness-raising and screening operations carried out in Ivory Coast and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), once again reaffirms Biogaran’s commitment to optimal patient care in Africa, and particularly in Benin, as well as to access to quality medicines throughout the country. 

More than 500 patients attended this operation which was held in Pobè and also welcomed patients from neighboring towns such as Adja-Ouèrè, Ikpinlè, Onigbolo and Kétou. The objective of this screening operation was to sensitize the population to the risks of cardio-metabolic diseases and to the importance of frequent screening in order to be proposed an adequate treatment in case of positive diagnosis. 

The campaign specifically targeted the population in the southeast of the country, a rural area with limited healthcare services, where communities may unknowingly suffer from high blood pressure and diabetes. 

Cardiometabolic diseases: a real public health issue in Benin  

These pathologies have not stopped growing on the continent in recent years, especially among Beninese patients. In this regard, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) annual report on Benin in 2020 explains that hypertension affects more than a quarter of the population (25.90%) while the national prevalence rate of diabetes stood at just over 12.4% in 2015, a figure that is constantly growing. [1] 

Statistics that seem to justify the organization of this operation, carried out by general practitioners, gynecologists, and nurses of the department of Plateau, gathered within the Concertation Framework of the Public-Private Partnership of the PAK Health Zone (Pobè, Adja-Ouèrè, Kétou), itself. By participating in this type of initiative, Biogaran wishes to encourage early detection of cardiometabolic diseases and to promote access to care for all patients in Benin. 

Donald Tossa, Biogaran’s Country Manager in Benin, said: “The increase in the prevalence of cardio-metabolic diseases throughout Africa, and particularly in Benin, has become a worrying public health issue that requires vigorous measures involving all healthcare professionals and partners. By making its reusable kits available to the PAK Health Zone Public-Private Partnership Consultation Framework organization, Biogaran aims at contributing to the success of the campaigns conducted by the organization with the goal of reducing the health risks related to cardio-metabolic diseases for local populations.” 

Commitment to access to healthcare for all: 

As a reminder, Biogaran has a wide range of medicines to treat cardio-metabolic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, but also cancerous diseases and some of the most common illnesses in the country such as infections for example. Biogaran medicines available in Benin are produced in strict compliance with European standards and manufactured 91% in Europe and 51% in France. 

In addition, the company is committed to the training of local healthcare professionals, notably through the Biogaran Academy, a free continuous training program that takes the form of webinars organized every two months on various health topics. These training sessions inform healthcare professionals about the state of the art in medical matters and thus enable patients to benefit from optimal care. 

To find out which Biogaran medicines are available in Benin, click here.

POI 0839-04/23 

Sources:

[1] https://www.afro.who.int/sites/default/files/2021-08/RAPPORT%20ANNUEL%20OMS%20BENIN%202020%20Final_0.pdf