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Epilepsy - Actions

 

Partnerships

Entering into agreements with NGOs, universities and governments

In partnership with NGOs and university institutes, the Group is determined to pursue this kind of initiative, which guarantees quality training programs for all healthcare professionals and a long-term commitment to the care provided for this disease. It is also a way of ensuring that doctors will receive the information they need for the best prescription of available antiepileptic drugs.
This determination is reflected in the agreements sanofi-aventis entered into with:

• The IENT (Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology) in Limoges, France, to enable the creation of the first Epilepsy Association in Cambodia.
• Santé Sud, to continue the program in Mali with the « Association des Médecins de Campagne » (Association of Country Doctors), and begin a similar kind of joint effort in Madagascar..
• KAWE (Kenyan Association for the Welfare of Epileptics), to develop training programs already underway and facilitate access to antiepileptic drugs in Kenya.  

These agreements allow the Group to play a role in four areas:

• training
• screening
• prescription
• treatment monitoring  

In light of the results of these initial pilot initiatives, sanofi-aventis hopes to extend its commitment in association with other involved partners.

As there was no national program for the treatment of epilepsy in rural areas, Santé Sud, together with the « Association des Médecins de Campagne » (Association of Country Doctors), decided to launch a program. Six general practitioners were then trained and organized into a network called RARE (a French acronym for « Epilepsy Research Action Network »). With the assistance of Santé Sud, French volunteer neurologists and sanofi-aventis, these doctors now treat over 1500 epileptic patients.