Emirates Health Services introduces long-acting schizophrenia treatment at Al Amal Hospital

Dubai: Emirates Health Services (EHS) has announced the availability of BYANNLI, a long-acting schizophrenia treatment developed by Johnson & Johnson, at Al Amal Psychiatric Hospital, making it the first government hospital in the UAE to offer the innovative therapy. BYANNLI is administered once every six months, representing one of the latest advances in the treatment and management of schizophrenia. Dr Essam Al Zarooni, Executive Director of the Clinical Services Sector at EHS, said the introduction of the treatment reflects EHS's commitment to providing internationally approved therapies and strengthening the UAE's position in advancing mental healthcare services. “This step represents a significant leap forward in the advancement of mental healthcare. It contributes to enhancing the patient experience by enabling access to more sustainable and effective care, in line with EHS's direction towards developing integrated care models that focus on patient needs, quality of life and long-term health outcomes,” he said. Dr Noor Almheiri, Director of the Mental Health Department at EHS, said treatment continuity remains one of the key challenges associated with chronic mental health conditions. She noted that BYANNLI offers an advanced option that supports treatment continuity, helps reduce the risk of relapse and contributes to greater psychological and social stability for patients. “The more successful we are in supporting treatment continuity and regular follow-up, the more positively this will reflect on the patient, their family and caregivers. This makes BYANNLI a valuable addition to the mental health ecosystem that EHS seeks to develop in line with international best practices,” she said. According to EHS, the treatment is designed to provide sustained symptom control while reducing the need for frequent dosing, helping improve treatment adherence and the effectiveness of medical follow-up. The organisation said the therapy also supports more efficient use of healthcare resources and improved patient outcomes. Schizophrenia is a chronic and complex mental health condition that can significantly affect patients, their families and caregivers if not managed effectively. EHS said treatment sustainability and continuity are essential in reducing relapse rates, strengthening psychological and family stability and improving quality of life. Al Amal Psychiatric Hospital has reported strong outcomes from the use of long-acting treatments for chronic mental health disorders, including reducing patient readmission rates to below 1%, increasing treatment adherence to 93%, and achieving notable improvement in psychiatric symptoms among 93% of patients. EHS said the introduction of BYANNLI is part of its broader strategy to provide proactive, integrated and innovation-driven healthcare services that support community wellbeing and reinforce the UAE's vision of a world-class healthcare system.