By Abolanle Rokeebat( SIWES Student, Graceland Polytechnic Offa.)
Experts at the second international mental health conference organized by the Asido Foundation emphasized that mental health is a universal human right.
They asserted that with proper treatment, even individuals living on the streets of Nigeria can recover and contribute to the nation’s development.
Dr. Sosunmolu Shoyinka from the University of Pennsylvania highlighted the disproportionate impact of mental health conditions on young people, emphasizing the challenge of ensuring access to services for Nigeria’s predominantly young population.
Dr. Jean Wright, Deputy Commissioner for the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services, stressed the need to reduce stigma and dispel misconceptions surrounding mental illnesses.
The goal is to empower individuals with knowledge and support so they can recover and contribute positively.
Dr. Allen Miller from Bech Institution in the USA pointed out the heightened mental health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and urged Nigeria to leverage its resources to make a difference in citizens’ mental well-being.
Professor Oye Gureje, Director of the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Research in Mental Health, emphasized the crucial role of mental health, especially given the stressors Nigeria faces.
Despite mental illness affecting anyone, Gureje noted that Nigeria falls short in ensuring mental health as a universal human right, calling for improved healthcare delivery and training of community health workers.
While acknowledging the mental health bill signed into law by former President Muhammadu Buhari, Professor Gureje urged prompt implementation along with the recently adopted mental health care policy to positively impact individuals facing mental health challenges.
The conference, themed ‘Mental Health as a Universal Human Right,’ held at the Centre for Africa Newborn Health and Nutrition in the University College Hospital, Ibadan.
Additionally, it provided free psychological first aid training to 180 tertiary institution students, aiming to equip them to identify and support peers with emotional issues.
Founder of the Asido Foundation, Dr. Jibril Abdulmalik, emphasized the importance of this training in offering psychological assistance and referrals when needed.
