Nigeria's Mental Health Crisis: Fewer than 200 Psychiatrists for 200 Million People

Date: 2024-11-29

The Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN) has revealed that the country's mental health needs are being attended to by fewer than 200 psychiatrists, despite a population of over 200 million people, as reported by Leadership.

The President of APN, Professor Taiwo Obindo, made this disclosure at the 55th Annual General Conference and Scientific Meeting of the association, which was held in Ilorin, Kwara State.

The conference, themed "Prioritizing Mental Health Needs of Nigeria in a Depressed Economy: An Urgent Call For Integrated, Comprehensive And Sustainable Interventions," highlighted the dire state of mental health care in Nigeria. Professor Obindo attributed the shortage of mental health professionals to the "japa syndrome," which has led to a significant depletion of the mental health workforce in the country.

Furthermore, Professor Obindo noted that mental health workers in Nigeria are overworked and underpaid, and that the situation must be addressed urgently. He also lamented that mental health has not received the necessary attention from the government, citing the example of Canada, which has a functional Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions.

“Mental health in Nigeria is still a programme under the Department of Public Health in the Federal Ministry of Health. One other area needing attention is the budgetary allocation to health, and by extension, the mental health, which is less than six percent.

“This falls short of the Abuja Declaration of 2001, where health allocation was to be pegged at a minimum of 15 percent of every country's annual budget,” he said.

He called for the implementation of the Mental Health Act of 2021, which replaced the Lunacy Act of 1958.

In his lecture, Prof. Owoidoho Udofia, of the University of Calabar, said: “Study showed 12 percent of Nigerians have mental and behavioural disorder”.

“Mental illness makes up less than 30 percent of the burden in teaching hospitals in Nigeria. The illness is not only restricted to schizophrenia and psychosis. Substance use is high and there is need to improve diagnosis.

“There is also need to improve on the rates, as there is poor identification and research,” he said.

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Oloriegbe     Ajakaye     Olomu Of Omu-Aran     Aminu Adisa Logun     Kwara State Internal Revenue Service     Farouk Salim     Babajide Ajayi     John Obuh     Special Agro-industrial Processing Zone     Habeeb Saidu     Y.A. Abdulkareem     Flights To Ilorin     Muritala Olarewaju     KwaraLearn     Gafaru Olayiwola Olorisade     Doyin Awoyale     Ajibike Katibi     Dar-Al-Handasah Consultants     Manzuma     Adisa Logun     Salmon Babatunde Salmon     Valsolar     Kawu Baraje     Nnazua     Muyiwa Oladipo Kanu     Lawyers Unite Against Corruption     Iponrin     Muyideen Ajani Bello     Association Of Kwara State Online Media Practitioners     IDPU     Ibrahim Mohammed     Baba Issa     Jaiz Bank     Oba Abdulrahim     Babs Iwarere     Gobir     Pakata     Yetunde Balogun     Iyabo Adewuyi     Senate Presidency     Suleiman Rotimi Iliasu     Makama     Idris Garba     Muslim Stakeholders Of Kwara State     Shehu Alimi Foundation For Peace And Development     Ahmed Alhasssan     ARMTI     Mustapha AbdulGaniyu     Ilorin Emirate Staff Association     Paul Odama     Abdulfatah Ahmed     Salman Jawondo     Adebara     Salihu Ajibola Ajia     Voices Of Tomorrow     Kwara State Printing And Publishing Corporation     Aliyu Alhassan     Illyasu Abdullahi     Erubu Oba Zubair     Ilorin West/Asa Federal Constituency     Jimoh Olusola Imam     Pakata Patriots     YAKOOYO     KWATMA     Ilorin Durbar     Shaaba Lafiagi     Razaq Atunwa     Omoniyi Ayinla     Hamid Bobboyi     Olusin Of Ijara Isin     Logun     Deji Ajani     Kwha.gov.ng     Eleja Taiwo Banu     Olayinka Jelili Yusuf     Ishak Mohammed Sabi     Mahmud Ajeigbe    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Mohammed Saidu     Suwa-Arabs     Leke Ogungbe     Quran     IFK     Mohammed Lawal     Balogun Ajikobi     Post Utme     Lanre Badmas     Baba-Isale     Omoniyi     Ajibola Saliu Ajia     Adedeji Onimago     T And K FOODS     Neo Mundo Ltd     Tosin Saraki     Maimunat Oniyangi     Garba Dogo     Balikis Jawondo     Toyosi Thomas     Kudirat Arinola Lawal     Olabode George Towoju     Paul Odama     Balogun Fulani     CELF     Dar-Al-Handasah Consultants Ltd     Abdulahi Abubakar Bata     Alaro     Local Government     Abdulhakeem Amao     Bola Iyabo Ibiyeye Adisa     Oke Sunna     Sabitiyu Grillo     Bayo Ajia     Radio SBS     Kayode Alabi     Kwara State Fish Farmers Association     Yahaya Seriki     Arandun     Hameed Oladipupo Ali     Tunde Oyawoye     Sunday Otokiti     Yakub Lai Gobir     Busari Toyin Isiaka     Babaita     Rotimi Oyedepo     Toyin Olayinka Tejidini     Ezekiel Yissa Benjamin     Abubakar Usman Jos     Elewu     Eleja Taiwo Banu     Facebook     Usman Yunusa     Bolakale Ayo     Emir Of Yashikira     Oloruntoyosi Thomas     Muhammad Mustapha Suleiman     AbdulRazaq Jiddah     Agbarere     Federal Road Maintenance Agency     Isa Aremu     Memunat Monsuma     Sa\'adu Salau     Saka Asiat Ayinke     Vasolar Consultoria     Ishaq Oloyede     Medview Airlines     Federal College Of Education (Special), Afon     Awoye     Ibrahim Taiwo     Jalala     Baruten     Azeez Bello     Okin Biscuit     School Of Nursing     Kawu     N-Power