Rotary Clubs of Abuja, in partnership with the University of Abuja (UNIABUJA) Teaching Hospital and support from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have advocated for inclusive mental health policies in Nigeria.
The president, Ayodele Steven, on behalf of Rotary Clubs in Abuja, disclosed this when the clubs took sensitization on mental health to the Gwagwalada Model Market to sensitize people on the importance of mental health.
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Steven said the president of Rotary International for 2023-2024 challenged the clubs to take mental health issues seriously.
Consequently, he said the clubs have taken it as an international awakening, which is one of the focal points of the things the clubs are expected to do at the district level.
He said so many things can lead to mental health challenges, like poverty, spousal challenges, school fees, drunkenness, drug abuse, and many others, while urging people to get help when necessary.
He said governments at all levels have done their best to put a lot of machinery in place, so the Rotary Clubs of Abuja are complementing the efforts of the government.
A consultant psychiatrist at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospitals, Gwagwalada, Dr. Muftau Mohammed, said World Mental Health Day is celebrated annually, and the theme of this year is “Making mental health a universal human right.”
He said mental health is universal, and the World Health Organization says one in every four people is at risk of developing mental health problems in their lifetime.
He also noted, “When we look at the population of Nigeria is about 200million people and that is equivalent to about 15 million people in Nigeria developing mental health problems at some point in their lives. So, we talked about many factors about the burden of mental health challenges which was shared in recent research they conducted in Kaduna in the North Western part of Nigeria that shows that 1 out of three secondary schools’ students have considered ending their own lives and a lot of factors were considered increasing the risk which includes bullying in the school system, depression, among others are some of the risk factors.”