Mental illness affects 20 million Nigerians – WHO

No fewer than 20 million Nigerians are currently living with mental health conditions, representing 20 percent of the country’s population, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Dr Azubike Aliche, Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Nigeria-American Institute for Mental Health (NAIMH), revealed this on Tuesday during a mental health GAP Action training programme held in Owerri, Imo State.

The training, organised by NAIMH in collaboration with the Centre for Social Awareness, Advocacy and Ethics (CSAAE), aims to equip non-psychiatric health workers with the skills to identify and manage mental health symptoms within their communities.

The programme seeks to bridge the mental health treatment gap by empowering frontline healthcare professionals.

Aliche described Nigeria’s rate of depression as “alarming,” noting that it is reportedly the highest in the world. He stressed the urgent need for targeted interventions, lamenting that only 10 percent of Nigerians with mental health challenges have access to care.

“This has to change,” he said.

Also speaking, Rev. Sr Josephine Nzeke, an executive member of NMHP USA, said the four-day pilot training would cover 25 health professionals drawn from five local government areas in Imo State. She explained that participants would return to their community health centres to deliver mental health services at the grassroots level.

Imo State Commissioner for Health, Dr Chioma Egu, described the mental health crisis as a “global challenge,” and urged the institute to align with the state’s mental health policy initiatives.

One of the facilitators, Mr Justice Ulunta of the Federal University of Allied Health Sciences, Enugu, advocated increased government investment in training mental health professionals and equipping mental health facilities.

CSAAE’s Chief Operations Officer, Miss Francisca Ekwonu, reiterated the organisation’s commitment to partnering with stakeholders to expand mental health support across Nigeria.

“With rising hardship and information overload, particularly among young people, our C-Health programme is designed to promote mental health support at the grassroots,” she said.