Mental disorders: an underestimated global public health issue

One in four people worldwide will be affected by a mental disorder at some point in their lives ¹⁶, with a significant social and economic impact.

Indeed, in many countries, violations of human rights of people with mental disorders are regularly reported. People with mental disorders are frequently rejected, excluded from society, subjected to degrading treatments and to physical and emotional violence. Most often, they receive no care and have no access to either education or employment.

450 million

people suffer from a mental disorder in the world ¹⁷

76% - 85%

do not receive suitable treatment in low and middle-income countries ¹⁷

Fighting stigma, discrimination and poor prevention

are key for a better disease management

What Sanofi does..

Sanofi has been one of the first healthcare companies to make a commitment to improving access to mental health care in developing countries through specific programs.
In 2008, Sanofi joined forces with the World Association of Social Psychiatry (WASP) to set up the Fight Against STigma (FAST) program. Through the FAST program, as well as via a partnership with the Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology (IENT, UMR 1094 Inserm), we have launched initiatives in over 20 countries in Africa, Asia and South America.

Developed with local health authorities, local experts or health professionals, patient associations and NGOs, these programs aim to improve access to care for patients with mental disorders or epilepsy in low-and middle-income countries. They are based on training health workers, raising public awareness, educating patients and their families. Thanks to these initiatives, thousands of patients who were previously neglected and excluded are seeking medical help and receiving treatment, so that they are able to resume a normal life with their families.

To date, over 10,600 healthcare workers have been trained, over 3.1 million people have been reached through awareness and educational activities, and over 132,000 people with mental illness or epilepsy have been diagnosed and/or treated. ¹⁸