The Executive Director, She-Writes Woman Mental Health Initiative (SWMHI), Hauwa Ojiefo has urged relevant authorities to expedite action toward checking the spread of mental illness in the country.
She made the call during her visit to the Executive Secretary of National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) in Abuja on Friday.
She said mental-ill health required urgent attention to avert spread.
She, therefore, appealed to the executive secretary to create a platform where special attention would be given to people with mental disability in the country.
She suggested that “special desk should be created to address mental disability cases, with medical experts readily available to attend to people.
“This is because mental ill- health is on the rise and it requires urgent attention to forestall spread.”
She recalled that it is because of the urgency of the issue that the United Nations set aside every Dec. 3 to commemorate the day.
The idea is to create awareness around the world on the need to mobilise resources toward psychotherapy and psychosocial support to sufferers.
She, therefore, sought the collaboration of the disability commission to facilitate effective training of nurses to handle such patients.
In his response, the Executive Secretary of the commission, Mr James Lalu, expressed commitment to create the necessary awareness on the need to effectively deal with the psychosocial disability.
He said “obviously, public knowledge about mental condition in Nigeria is still very low and there is need to continually enlighten the public on the effects and possible treatments.
“The commission has employed two psychologists to assist persons suffering from psychosocial disability, as well as to help in integrating them into the society.”
Lalu assured that the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation would equally play a role by making adequate provisions for care and treatment of persons with mental issues.
High point of the meeting was the presentation of a document — “World Health Quality Rights.”
