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.
Aliyu Alhassan Saka Aleshinloye Abdulrahman Iliasu Oniye Local Government Pension Board Kassim Babamale Ilorin Anchor Men And Women Ambassador Kayode Laro Odo-Owa Salman Jawondo Is\'haq Modibbo Kawu Joseph Alex Offorjama Special Adviser On Digital Innovation Oba Abu UNILORIN Alumni Association Ahmad Fatima Bisola Okedare Memunat Monsuma AbdulHakeem Ajibola Akanbi PAACO-PCL Consortium Oba Abdulkadir La\'aro Freshvine Nigeria Limited Tunde Akanbi Zaratu Umar Adolescent Girls Initiative For Learning And Empowerment Press Release Rafiu Ajakaye Funmilayo Mohammed Mahfouz Adedimeji KWSIEC Abdulrazaq Sanni Ogidi-Oloje Abubakar Suleiman AbdulRazaq AbduMajeed Alaro Gbugbu Kulende Omar Gambari Yahaya Seriki Binta Abubakar-Mora Share/Tsaragi Yusuf Lanre Badmas Oke Sunna Prince Mahe Abdulkadir Abdulrahman Abdulrasak AbdulRahman Saad Bayer AG Saliu Ajibola Ajia Government House Mukhtar Shagaya Bolaji Aladie Overland Arandun Shuaib Abdulkadir Maja Lukman Oyebanji Fagbemi Kayode Bankole Baba-Isale Dar-Al-Handasah Consultants Dan Iya Abraysports FC Idris Amosa Oladipo Saidu KWSUED Folashade Omoniyi Michael Nzekwe PharmAccess Foundation Bilikisu Oniyangi Yusuf Abubakar Shehu Raheem Adaramaja Yakubu Dogara Yahaya Muhammad Olufolake Abdulrazaq Mohammed Yahaya Barki GAMA Unilorin Bayer Nigeria Limited Aliyu U. Tilde Jimba Babatunde

