Nigeria's Mental Health Crisis: Fewer than 200 Psychiatrists for 200 Million People
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.
Kwara 2015 Suraj Tunji Oyewale Ishaq Abdulkarim Farouk Salim Bilikis Oladimeji David Oyepinola Adedumoye Doyin Awoyale Shagari Al-Hikmah Radio First Lady Gani Saadu Ilorin Airport Usman Yunusa Usman Rifun Abdulkadir Bolakale Sakariyah Gbugbu Ilota Florence Saraki Sulaiman Gado Kolawole Akande Aiyedun Centre For Digital Economy Lanre Aremu Abdulkadir Akanbi-Oke Kwara South Aliyu Muhammad Saifudeen Lanre Badmas Abubakar Atiku Jamila Bio Ibrahim Irepodun Amusement Park Sunday Fagbemi Balogun Ajikobi Iyiola Oyedepo Umar Danladi Shero CUTI Saka Adeyemo Aishat Mohammed Lawal Akorede Justina Oha Ilorin West/Asa Federal Constituency Muazam Nayaya Budo Egba Abdullahi Dasilva Yussuf Alabi Olayemi Abdulrazak Busari Alabi Alausa Clara Nwachukwu Aisha Ahman-Pategi Aliyu Salihu Plat Technologies Limited Hijaab Afolabi-Oshatimehin Adenike Harriet Muhammad Yahya Binta Abubakar-Mora Elerinjare-Ibobo Iyaloja-General Dagbalodo Yusuf Abubakar Olokoba Sulyman Albert Ogunsola Sidikat Alaya Yunus Oniboki Jawondo Rapheal Ashaolu Eleyele Sherif Sagaya AbdulQowiy Olododo Ilorin Central Mosque Muslim Cementary Dorcas Afeniforo Dunmade Mohammed Khadijat Kubura Chief Imam Of Omu-Aran Ahman Pategi University Funmilayo Isiaka Oniwa Egbewole Kayode Yusuf

