Why is there a mental health emergency in Africa? | The Stream
The World Health Organization has launched a campaign aimed at boosting suicide prevention across Africa, amid a continent-wide crisis in mental health provision.
About 11 people per 100,000 per year die by suicide in Africa, higher than the worldwide average of nine per 100,000 people, the UN agency says. Of the ten countries with the world’s highest rates of death by suicide, the WHO told Al Jazeera that six are in Africa: Lesotho, Eswatini, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Central African Republic.
The WHO estimates that for every death by suicide in Africa there are about 20 attempted suicides. With the number of people across Africa affected by mental health conditions on the rise and few mental health professionals available to help people in crisis, the WHO is now urging regional governments to put more funding into mental health programming and services. On average, governments provide less than 50 US cents per head of population for mental health care – less than a quarter of amount of money needed for such provision in low-income countries.
Public outreach and education is also key to improving mental health outcomes across the continent, the WHO says. Mental health advocates point to social stigma around mental health conditions as a major impediment to people getting support and treatment.
In this episode of The Stream we’ll look at what is behind high rates of death by suicide in parts of Africa, the challenges people experiencing mental health emergencies routinely face, and what urgent action is needed to provide life-saving help to those who need it.
Join the conversation:
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/AJStream
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/AJStream
Subscribe to our channel http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe
#aljazeeraenglish
#ajstream
#mentalhealth
22 Comments
Tell them to name one. African news are all a make up news. 1 out of 3 people in north America have mental health.
Mental health is a world crisis not only in Africa… Though in Africa its due to high rate of unemployment to young graduates and high costs of living
I don't think Africa has mental health crisis!
It's just another project for someone to make money and secure a new job.
African people live simple life and stress compared to Americans and Europe.
I'm from Africa.
The Earth is rebalancing itself. Save who you can doctor but the rest I'm afraid you'll have to let go. I am sorry.
African is messed up with bad, corrupt, wicked and evil leaders. Hardship and pain has become normal in most places in Africa.
Time to leagalize weed in Afirca!
People are not meant to be slaves. Conditions of slavery lead to suicide. No one is meant to be treated this way and endure these circumstances.
Love this stream!
Just imagine somebody that graduated from the university for over 5 years ago without a decent job. High cost of living coupled with high expectations from families. May God help every Nigerian passing through any kind of challenge, its not easy being a Nigerian.
We are the priviledged who get to watch Aljazeera's inside story as we have the internet, electricity and time and can learn on what to do if a loved one is depressed and even able to comment on Youtube. The majority of people in these high suicide burdened countries live under corrupt governments or dictatorships where there is no hope that their lives could improve. You have no meaningful job, you are young with a degree but on the street unemployed, no money to load your mobile phone with airtime, assuming you have a smart phone, when you start your small business, the government wily nilly disconnects the internet you depend on to make money if there is an "unsanctioned" demonstration (as if you have no right to demonstrate) for you to connect and do business, if you have them your children are hungry, the currency has lost all its value and you have not been allowed to withdraw all your money from the bank and told you can only take so much out, which cannot even buy a loaf of bread. For each service you need you wait in a queue for months before being served/told the service is no longer available or asked to grease the hands of government officials. The long and short of it is that there are too many stressors, and you see everyone around you equally stressed. You do not see a way out and before we know it, someone has committed suicide. I blame these corrupt governments who lack compassion. Another issue is acute mental health services are free at point of use so not many doctors want to go into this niche because it does not pay as well as a paediatrician/gynaecologist/obstetrician for instance. Payment is at government scale when other experts get paid private practice rates. The service then becomes disrupted because there are not enough psychiatrists for everyone. You are lucky if there is 1 psychiatrist per 100 000 population.
African educational curriculum should address the mental health crisis directly. All these Master Degrees that we boast about wouldn’t really make sense, if we as Africans are not prepared to overcome thoughts of suicide at certain times of our lives. The future is uncertain, and it would be best if the children are prepared. Awareness on this matter can be provided through education, and the education department should focus more on the teaching of Life Skills as a promotional subject. This is really bad for our children, especially when they face life challenges and they would think that, suicide is a way out of trouble.
Watch this inspiring spoken word poetry on mental health
We can call it whatever but trust me, Poverty is a disease and no.1 risk factor for 99% of mental health cases
I think it's because the African Leaders prioritize the non-priorities
The Azibo Nosology II: Epexegesis and 25th Anniversary Update: 55 Culture-focused Mental Disorders Suffered by African Descent People (due to Eurasian Hegemony)
Great topic Joshua. We also need to talk more on what is available. In Africa it is easy to see advertising of almost everything, apart from Mental Health Awareness, what to do/where to go or refer when someone mentions Mental Health issues needs to be more available.
We need a part 2 of this discussion
It's because they have to deal with the Europeans all the time.
17
Because of too much religion, which ends up creating too much cognitive dissonance and lack of understanding of a healthy human nature. A human must live according to his/her nature and not be completely deluded by religion.
Aqui no Brasil escondem sinal de Deus e confirma palavra da Bíblia..O qual se opõe, e se levanta contra tudo o que se chama Deus, ou se adora; de sorte que se assentará, como Deus, no templo de Deus, querendo parecer Deus.
2 Tessalonicenses 2:4
As someone who is diagnosed with schizophrenia I think, since as you said in Africa culture and religion are deeply interwoven, a more integrated approach is needed. This means that we should embrace integrating African culture slowly into religion and medicine, whilst taking care not to shun religion and culture but instead welcome them into the mental health discussion.
Keep holding on to God. No matter what may be trying to keep you down, keep looking up to God. He will always be your hand in helping you get back up. His love for you is far greater than any obstacle that may be trying to stop you from reaching your destination. we need to live each day guided by an eternal perspective. We get swamped by temporal concerns. Living or dead we belong to the Lord. So in all things, keep God first and let Him deal with your worst. Keep on pressing and stay focused on your God given purpose. You will see that He will always provide everything you need. So rest in knowing that when you keep holding on, You will see that in your weakness, God will be your strength. May God bless you.
Hebrews 12:2
Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Mental health is such an important topic to be discussed at any stage of life. Its impact can be huge if more attention is given to it.