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64 Million Nigerians Suffer From Mental Illness – Nebo by etenyong(m): 9:03pm On Aug 31, 2015 |
A former power minister, Professor Chinedu
Nebo, on Monday said the federal and state
governments have not provided medical attention
to about 64 million Nigerians who suffer from
mental illness.
Nebo spoke during the Second Public Lecture
organised by the Federal Neuropsychiatric
Hospital, Enugu, in collaboration with the West
African College of Nursing.
Speaking on the theme ‘Psychiatric and mental
health in Nigeria: challenges and prospects,’
Nebo noted that, according to medical scholars,
out of a population of 160 million or thereabouts,
“64 million Nigerians suffer from one form or the
other of afflictions of mental illness,” which
deserved attention.
Nebo, a former Vice Chancellor of the University
of Nigeria, Nsukka, pointed out that, whereas
government had done much in the area of
primary health care, nothing had been done to
address mental health challenges.
He also noted that Nigerians were not
adequately informed about mental health issues.
“Nigerians still grapple with many social
challenges, including poverty, high level of
unemployment and other social pressures.
“The prevalence of these situations have been
escalated by the fact that there is high level of
poor knowledge and understanding of the malaise
of mental health disorder and the positive
treatments required by the growing population of
mentally ill patients,” he said.
He identified causes of mental illness to include
genetic composition, neurological and
psychological experiences and environmental
stresses.
He faulted what he described as “the belief that
many Nigerians seem to hold that mental
disorder is a result of supernatural forces and,
therefore, only responds to cure through
traditional practices and supernatural
incantations.”
Nebo urged Nigerians to give up such beliefs and
“face the realities of modern conditions, which in
fact, produce the stresses that lead to different
levels of mental conditions.”
The former power minister called for adequate
funding for research and training of mental
health manpower.
Nebo equally canvassed the provision of
community based mental health care services,
total integration of mental health care into the
primary health care system and periodic review
of legislation governing the care of the mentally
ill.
The Chief Medical Director of the Federal
Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu, Dr. Jojo
Onwukwe, said the institution has a staff
strength of about 1000 workers, including eight
consultant specialist psychiatrists, more than 400
psychiatric nurses and 27 resident doctors.
www.punchng.com/news/64-million-nigerians-suffer-from-mental-illness-nebo/ |
Re: 64 Million Nigerians Suffer From Mental Illness – Nebo by dapsoneh: 9:08pm On Aug 31, 2015 |
K |
Re: 64 Million Nigerians Suffer From Mental Illness – Nebo by AdeniyiA(m): 6:23am On Sep 01, 2015 |
Na waoh ... so Nebo is a health professor but was chosen to head power ministry? What a definition of cluelessness! |
(1) (Reply)
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