KENYA – The Ministry of Health in Kenya has entered into a strategic partnership deal with multinational healthcare company Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to facilitate access to quality mental healthcare services in Kenya.
The Ministry of Health has teamed up with innovative healthcare company Johnson & Johnson in a move that will see Kenyans benefit from improved access to effective and appropriate mental healthcare services and products.
Under the deal, Johnson & Johnson will also support the development of a Psychiatric Telemedicine Solution in Kenya in a bid to ensure that all persons with mental health needs receive the highest attainable standard of care in line with the Kenyan Constitution.
Prostate cancer patients covered by the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) can now access an innovator prescription drug manufactured and distributed by Janssen Kenya, one of the pharmaceutical companies of Johnson and Johnson, as part of a strategic development to expand access to quality treatment regimes in Kenya.
The multinational corporation will also involve key healthcare stakeholders in developing and implementing an approach for sustainable access to essential and innovative medicines to treat severe mental illness particularly focusing on Schizophrenia in the public sector.
In addition, Johnson & Johnson pledged to continue to support the mental health agenda in the country including training psychiatric nurses while an initial cohort has already been trained in a bid to bolster capacity building and improve access to services & products through technology.
The new mental health initiatives will bring focus and scale to the implementation of the Kenya Mental Health Action Plan, operationalization of the Kenya Mental Health Policy and the launch of the suicide Prevention Strategy.
Furthermore, the recent assent of the Mental Health Amendment bill 2020 by His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta is a key milestone the Government has achieved towards strengthening the mental health system in the Country.
Ministry of Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache signed the agreement on behalf of the Kenyan Government while Queenter Owuonda who is the Johnson & Johnson’s Country Manager signed on behalf of the company.
Principal Secretary Susan Mochache observed that mental health is a public health threat while acknowledging Johnson & Johnson for partnering with the Kenyan Government to tackle the mental health burden manifested by growing suicide cases, gender-based violence and child abuse cases.
“Collaboration with Johnson & Johnson touches on mental healthcare priority areas and the Ministry of Health in Kenya is optimistic that this partnership will bear demonstrable impact nationwide for the next five years,” said Susan Mochache.
Johnson & Johnson’s Head of Government Affairs & Policy, Sub Saharan Africa Ms Idah Asin reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting the Kenyan Government’s efforts to identify Schizophrenia particularly in young adults as this is the age around which Schizophrenia often starts.
In addition, Ms Idah Asin observed that identifying and clinically managing Schizophrenia in young adults remains a crucial pillar of Johnson &Johnson’s contribution to broadening access to mental healthcare support.
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