Nigeria has made significant advances in health policies development and legislation aimed at achieving health for all, but challenges remain for mental health services. An initiative is addressing the country’s monumental mental healthcare challenges by deploying a multi-pronged approach that includes conventional online and unique offline interventions. But challenges remain. Studies have shown that mental health, like physical health, is essential to overall well being, yet stakeholders argue it is often overlooked in Nigeria due to poor societal attitudes
Nigeria’s president Muhammadu Buhari recently signed the country mental health bill into law. Described as groundbreaking, the new law aims, among others, to improve access to mental health care and services in Nigeria. The mental health bill aims to improve access to care and services for people with mental health issues. The bill, which has been long-awaited by mental health advocates, aims to address the significant gap in mental health services in the country. The new law will establish a National Mental
Climate change poses serious risks to mental health and well-being, concludes a new WHO policy brief, launched at the Stockholm+50 conference. The Organization is therefore urging countries to include mental health support in their response to the climate crisis, citing examples where a few pioneering countries have done this effectively. The findings concur with a recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), published in February this year. The IPPC revealed that rapidly
At least one in seven children in sub-Saharan Africa experiences significant psychological hardship. As the world marks World Mental Health Day, UNICEF and WHO shine a light on the need for increased investment and access to mental health prevention and response services on the continent. Children and adolescents are always at risk of developing mental health problems, especially vulnerable children facing poverty, discrimination and violence. The lack of access to basic social, health and education services, combined with wide-reaching structural inequalities,