Nigeria's Mental Health Crisis: Fewer than 200 Psychiatrists for 200 Million People

Date: 2024-11-29

The Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN) has revealed that the country's mental health needs are being attended to by fewer than 200 psychiatrists, despite a population of over 200 million people, as reported by Leadership.

The President of APN, Professor Taiwo Obindo, made this disclosure at the 55th Annual General Conference and Scientific Meeting of the association, which was held in Ilorin, Kwara State.

The conference, themed "Prioritizing Mental Health Needs of Nigeria in a Depressed Economy: An Urgent Call For Integrated, Comprehensive And Sustainable Interventions," highlighted the dire state of mental health care in Nigeria. Professor Obindo attributed the shortage of mental health professionals to the "japa syndrome," which has led to a significant depletion of the mental health workforce in the country.

Furthermore, Professor Obindo noted that mental health workers in Nigeria are overworked and underpaid, and that the situation must be addressed urgently. He also lamented that mental health has not received the necessary attention from the government, citing the example of Canada, which has a functional Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions.

“Mental health in Nigeria is still a programme under the Department of Public Health in the Federal Ministry of Health. One other area needing attention is the budgetary allocation to health, and by extension, the mental health, which is less than six percent.

“This falls short of the Abuja Declaration of 2001, where health allocation was to be pegged at a minimum of 15 percent of every country's annual budget,” he said.

He called for the implementation of the Mental Health Act of 2021, which replaced the Lunacy Act of 1958.

In his lecture, Prof. Owoidoho Udofia, of the University of Calabar, said: “Study showed 12 percent of Nigerians have mental and behavioural disorder”.

“Mental illness makes up less than 30 percent of the burden in teaching hospitals in Nigeria. The illness is not only restricted to schizophrenia and psychosis. Substance use is high and there is need to improve diagnosis.

“There is also need to improve on the rates, as there is poor identification and research,” he said.

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

ITP     Balogin Alanamu     Shuaib Abdulkadir     Yusuf Mubarak     Ibrahim Taiwo     Rueben Parejo     Monsurat Omotosho     Halimah Perogi     Aisha Ahman Pategi     Zulu Gambari     Code Of Conduct Bureau     Harmony Holdings     Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission     Yakubu Mohammed Abdullahi     Mohammed Katsina Ahmed     Abdulkadir Akanbi-Oke     Funke Adedoyin     Ekiti     AbdulRasaq Abdulmajeed Alaro     Aisha Ahman-Pategi     Abdulfatai Salman Baakini     Moremi High School     Abdulquowiyu Olododo     Apata Ajele Secondary School     Kemi Adeosun     Seni Saraki     Special Adviser On Digital Innovation     Ajibola Ademola Julius     Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa     Muftau Akanbi Oke     Sulyman Atolagbe Alege     Jimoh Lambe Abdulkareem     Omoniyi M. Ayinla     Lola Ashiru     Micheal Imoudu     Kwara State Printing And Publishing Corporation     Florence Saraki     Government Girls’ Day Secondary School Pakata     Ramat Oganija     Ayodele Shittu     JAMB     Moronfoye     Olota Of Odo-Owa     Omu Aran     Towoju     Balogun Fulani     Col. Taiwo     Yunus Lawal     VADA     Wale Oladepo     Lawal Olohungbebe     Doyin Awoyale     Haleeman Salman     Alabe     Isau     Ghali Muhammed     Wahab Kunle Shittu     NYSC     CELF     Mansur Alfanla     Biliaminu Aliu     Alapansapa     Samuel Olusegun Adedayo     Abdulmumini Jawondo     Olatunji Bamgbola     Halimat Yusuf     Sheikh Ridhwanullah El-ilory     Kwara State Branch Of The National Library     Special Agro-Industrial Hub     Kupchi Hosea Maxwell     Yoonus Lawal     Ganmo Power Sub-Station     Erin-ile     Yusuf A. Usman     Babatunde Ishola Babaita     Aliyu Alhassan     Kisra    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Olatomiwa Williams     Emir Of Kano     Oloriegbe     Suleman Abubakar     Abdulquawiy Olododo     Oluranti Idowu     Gamji Members Association     Sola Saraki Educational Foundation     Abdulganiyu AbdulAzeez     IHS     Quranic Recitation Competition     Iyaloja-General     Ganmo Power Sub-Station     Esinrogunjo     Olupako     Minimum Wage     Abdulrahman Abdulrasak     Saad Belgore     Jide Oyinloye     Elections     Just Event Online     Al-Adaby     Elerin Of Adanla Irese     Edret Sabi Abel     Ilorin Airport     Yinka Aluko     Funke Adedoyin     Belgore     Gbugbu     Shehu Alimi Foundation For Peace And Development     Mustapha Akanbi     Salihu S. Yaru     Mahmud Babatunde Baker     Ilorin Emirate     Opaleke Bukola Iyabo     Amusa Bello     Yusuf Abubakar     KWIRS     Kwabes     Pakata Patriots     Idowu Laro     Yahaya Abdulkareem Babaita     Razak Atunwa     Harmony Holdings     Yusuf Arowosaye     Salihu Ajia     Kwara State Fish Farmers Association     Farouk Salim     Ita-Ore     George Innih     Okin Malt     Kwara Consultative Forum     Dorcas Afeniforo     Igosun     Chief Imam Of Ilorin     ER-KANG     Titus Ashaolu     Ajike People Support Centre     Alfa Modibo Belgore     Abdullahi Saadudeen Alikinla     Yakubu Dogara     Ojuekun Sarumi     Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa     Abdulraufu Mustapha     Okin Biscuit     Pategi     Hausa     Women Radio     Yakubu Shaaba     Oba Abdulraheem     Mahmud Ajeigbe     Yusuf Babatunde Abdulwahab     Ilorin East     Ilorin Innovation Hub     Gbemi Saraki     Oba-Solagberu     NYSC