Nigerian government parades 200 psychiatrists attending to over 200 million Nigerians
The Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN), have disclosed that Nigerian government can only boast of 200 psychiatrists attending to the mental health needs of well over 200 million Nigerians, attributing the shortfalls to Japa syndrome.
Penpushing reports that the President of the association, Prof Taiwo Obindo, made this known at the opening of the 55th Annual General Conference and Scientific Meeting of the association held in Ilorin, Kwara State Capital.
The psychiatrists speaking at the event with the theme, “Prioritising Mental Health Needs of Nigeria in a Depressed Economy: An Urgent call for Integrated, Comprehensive and Sustainable Interventions, lamented that the “japa syndrome” had greatly depleted the number of mental health practitioners in the country.
Penpushing further reports that Obindo pointed out that these tides need to be stemmed and reversed expressing concern that the remaining mental health practitioners were overworked and poorly remunerated.
The association boss stated that mental health was yet to be accorded the needed attention by the Nigerian government and cited Canada as an example, which had a functional Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, stressing that Nigeria needs to lay emphasis and importance on mental health.
‘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, mental health, which is less than six per cent. This falls short of the Abuja Declaration of 2001, where health allocation was to be pegged at a minimum of 15 per cent of every country’s annual budget,” he said.
Penpushing also reports that the president stated that the association had achieved some milestones in the establishment of the Mental Health Programme, and equally called for the implementation of the Mental Health Act of 2021, which replaced the Lunacy Act of 1958.
The guest lecturer at the ceremony Prof Owoidoho Udofia, of the University of Calabar said study showed 12 per cent of Nigerians have mental and behavioural disorder, asserting that certain characteristics in some medical practitioners were responsible for poor identification of mental illness.
Penpushing reports that Udofia observed that certain presence of culture-specific somatic symptoms, significantly lowered the identification rate of mental illness by general practitioners in teaching hospitals.
The consultant psychiatrist, however, dismissed the assumption by colonialists that Africans were not sophisticated enough to have depression, explaining that mental illness makes up less than 30 per cent of the burden in teaching hospitals in Nigeria
‘Mental illness makes up less than 30 per cent 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 a need to improve diagnosis. There is also a need to improve on the rates, as there is poor identification and research’, he stated.
Penpushing further reports that, the Kwara Commissioner for Health, Amina El-Imam in her goodwill message described the theme of the conference as a critical discussion noting that the society had surrounded the issue of mental health with myths and stigma.
The commissioner, who was represented by Musiliu Odunaiya, the Director of Medical Services and Training, advised psychiatrists to produce more awareness campaigns on mental health to reduce stigma in the country.
Penpushing also reports that the chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Peter Ajiboye earlier in his welcome speech said the theme of the conference reflects the collective recognition of the urgent need for tailored mental health solutions in Nigeria.
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