Plan International has decried the growing level of stigma campaign targeted at people suffering from mental health disorders in Bauchi State.
Malam Nasir Mohammad Musa, National Programmes Manager, Plan International Bauchi Office, stated this on Thursday at a lecture and awareness creation organised for mental health stakeholders in Bauchi in commemoration of this year’s World Mental Health Day.
The Programme Manager said that many mentally ill patients were condemned to a life that does not fit humans, adding that regardless of their condition, mentally ill people have positive contributions to offer to society, hence the need to treat them with respect and courtesy
Malam Nasir said that because of the stigma, ‘a big gap was created between people with mental disorder and access to medical care which are scarce in supply in Nigeria at the moment,’ a situation that further worsens their condition.
The programme Manager said that between 75 to 95 per cent of people with a mental health challenge in Nigeria do not have access to mental healthcare, a ‘pathetic ‘ situation that worsens their condition.
He said that WHO’s statistics indicate that one out of every Nigerians is suffering one form of mental illness or the other adding that only 10 per cent of the people with a mental disorder in Nigeria have access to mental health services with 90 percent not having access to mental health service.
“Mental health is something that should be made public not be discussed in private. We are talking maternal health why not mental health,” the Programme Manager queried.
Malam Nasir said that health institution in Nigeria is structured with total disregard for mental health something that ordinarily ought not to be so especially given the number of people with mental health challenges in the country.
He said that Plan International saw the need for the awareness programme to address stigma and access to the mental healthcare gap in Bauchi State.
Comrade Lawan Musa Misau, Chairman Association of Psychiatric Nurses Bauchi State chapter in his paper presentation blamed the rising cases of people suffering from mental health to the unfavourable socio-economic situation prevalent in the country.
“The situation on the ground at the moment as you knows we are in a serious state of economic setback – recession- these are the factors that are further escalating mental health issue thereby increasing the number of people with mental health challenges in geometric progression.
“Socio-economic factors are also viewed as another factor that further contributes to the alarming incidences of mental health issues in Nigeria,” he said.
The Chairman however said that negative perception of mental health issues by most people in the grassroots coupled with negligence and lack of focus from relevant health authorities at all levels of governance in the country compound the problems of mentally disordered people in the country.
“People with mental health challenges are part of the society and they did nothing wrong to deserve the discrimination being meted on them. It is an illness like any other illness that can be treated successfully,” Comrade Lawan said.
Earlier in his remarks, Moses Nyam, Mental Health and Psycho-Social Support Plan International Bauchi, said that the growing number of people with mental health challenges necessitate Plan International to dedicate a unit designed to address mental health cases in Nigeria.
“As you know COVID-19 has come with a lot of stress and reactions and you know these reactions need to be tackled,” he said.
Mr Moses said that a visit to most of the LGAs in Bauchi State revealed that psycho-social support for mental health patients is not on the ground which gave birth to the proliferation of illegal rehabilitation centres which are being manned by highly unprofessional people.
The theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day is Mental Health in An Unequal World.
