By Emeka Nwankwo
ZARIA/Nigeria: Mental Health practitioners in Nigeria had called on relevant government at all level, agencies and the international health organisations to incorporate the area into the Primary Healthcare Services.
Leading this call is Prof. Taiwo Sheikh, President, Association of Psychiatrists of Nigeria (APN), has urged the Federal Government to intensify efforts toward integrating mental health into Primary Healthcare Services.
Sheikh, a Professor at the Psychiatric Department, College of Medical Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, gave the advice in an interview on Friday in Lagos
He said that this had become imperative as studies had shown the existence of a huge treatment gap for mental health conditions in the country.
According to him, more attention is being given to the physical health sector than mental health, not only by the government but also by international organisations.
The APN president said that psychiatric hospitals were not meant to be “stand-alone” health facilities as is the case in Nigeria.
“it should be integrated into the primary healthcare programme for easy access to Nigerians.”
He said that the integration would not only boost mental healthcare service delivery, but also create room for more affordability and accessibility at the grassroot.
“There is need to facilitate more access to mental health care for Nigerians; it will be better if Nigerians can access mental healthcare, even down to the primary health centres which operates at the grassroots.
“There is also need to address the mental health gap.
“Substantial proportion of people with mental health conditions does not get appropriate treatment. Traditionally, neurological mental health services have been concentrated in tertiary-care hospitals.
“Large segments of the population, particularly those who live in rural and remote areas have been deprived of such services despite the fact that mental health conditions are also common in communities,” Sheikh said.
A Professor of Nursing, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Prof. Fatai Badru, who also urged government agencies and international health organisations to pay more attention to mental healthcare delivery.
Badru, also a psychiatric nurse, said that mental disorders had been largely overlooked.
“Mental health is as important as physical health. But you find out that agencies of government and international organisations focus more on catering for the physical needs, rather than mental needs.
“Mental disorders are found in men and women at all stages of life, among the rich and the poor, and in both rural and urban settings.
“If people with mental disorders fail to receive the treatment and care they require, they risk becoming marginalised or a burden to society” he said.
