By Elizabeth Ombati
An ambitious campaign to enhance awareness about mental health, mental illness and epilepsy spearheaded by young people is set to be launched .
The mental health awareness campaign aims to demystify and mainstream mental illness and epilepsy into primary healthcare and put demand on the government for the completion of a National Mental Health Policy and revision of the Mental Health ACT (Cap 248).
“This will go a long way in providing a much needed framework for accelerating the right to health by people with mental disorders in Kenya,” said Ann Kihagi, a community development officer working with Basic Needs UK in Kenya, a non-government organization whose purpose is to enable people with mental disorders to work and live successfully in their communities.
As part of the team running the campaign Ann Kihagi emphasized why there was need for young people to spearhead the campaign. “Young people are especially prone to stress, depression and accidents triggered by a number of societal concerns such as unemployment and violence at all levels,” she noted adding that such triggers result in an imbalanced mental state that could get worse if not checked. “It is important to know that mental health is a right, not a privilege and that every person is entitled to quality mental health assessment and treatment if need be,” she noted.
Renowned thespian Anthony Mwangi and poetess Sitawa Wafula are also involved with the campaign ‘One Mind, Lend Your Voice’ Mental Health and Epilepsy Awareness and Advocacy campaign. The youth advocates are volunteering their services with an organization called Users and Survivors of Psychiatry Kenya (USP-Kenya) whose purpose is to promote and advocate for the rights of persons with mental disorders in Kenya and to enable them realize their creative potential.
“I wish for people to access information regarding mental illness so that they can understand when there is a problem, that is very important,” said Fibian Gitonga, a 25 year old man who recently discovered he has bipolar. He is among the young people are committed and willing to be involved in the campaign.
“Most of these young people are users or friends of other youth users of mental health services and as such understand the importance of mental health and why it should be taken closer to the people,” said Ann Kihagi.
In recognizing that there is no shame in mental illness, the organizers of the campaign aim to break the silence on mental illness in communities through education and family training so as to understand facts about mental health.
A WHO report: Mental health and Development: Targeting people with mental health conditions as a vulnerable group notes that stigma and marginalization generate poor self-esteem, low self-confidence, reduced motivation, and less hope for the future. In addition, stigmatization and marginalization result in isolation, which is an important risk factor for future mental health conditions. It is for this reason that the campaign also targets that mental health, mental illness and epilepsy get official recognition by the government and get funds that support projects to help mentally ill persons to realize their potential and contribute to their communities development initiatives.
Mental health is central to human development. Mental health and physical health are inseparable and equally important yet only a small percentage of the 450 million people in the world suffering from mental and behavioral disorders are receiving treatment.
In Kenya, although no prevalence studies have been carried out, some site specific studies indicate that about 25-30% of people seeking outpatient care in rural facilities have a psychological problem co-existing with a physical problem. Danice King’ori one of the lead youth volunteers said; ‘I learnt this with shock and government must prioritize mental health if we are to achieve vision 2030!’
The scheduled one year campaign, is part of an EU co-funded action to reinforce the demand side of government accountability for mental health and development in Kenya. It targets 16 million Kenyans expecting that the Kenyan public reduces the stigma and exclusion, caused by ignorance perpetuated against persons with mental illnesses and epilepsy. The campaign is also to further call to duty bearers; the government, employers, parents, development partners, the media to put in place the necessary mechanisms to ensure that persons living with mental disorders have good standards of health, social inclusion and economic well being.
No comments:
Post a Comment