A BRIGHTER FUTURE OF MENTAL HEALTH IN AFRICA
However, the world is waking up to the importance of mental health as a part of international development and global public health priority. The past decade has seen a huge increase in attention paid to the issue, at national and international levels. For example, this year’s UN General Assembly had several key events where global leaders met to discuss mental health. A second Global Ministerial Summit will be held in Amsterdam later this year, following the first in London in 2018. These events are leading to more commitments, and increased investment in the field.
NALAFEM as an Organisation is interested in awareness creation for mental health in Africa, especially for women. In order to get this message across to women in Africa, they are calling FELLOWS at NALAFEM to sign the manifesto DEMANDS, and also extend that to other key female leaders in countries of Africa. With this, it is believed that both married and young women in Africa will have a proper understanding of mental health, and why it is important for one to be stable mentally. The reason NALAFEM took this upon themselves is due to their understanding that, for a nation or a continent to have mentally stable people, it is not just the duty of the government. Rather, other organizations and donor agencies should be actively involved in this campaign.
The WHO Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2030 lays out a series of priority actions at country level. It was adopted unanimously at the World Health Assembly in 2013, which means that all national Ministries of Health have endorsed it. Its four objectives are to:
Strengthen effective leadership and governance for mental health.
Provide comprehensive, integrated and responsive mental health and social care services in community-based settings.
Implement strategies for promotion and prevention in mental health.
Strengthen information systems, evidence and research for mental health.
To date, the African continent is behind others in meeting these objectives. For example, only 21% of African countries have recent mental health legislation compared to a global average of 40%, and only 27% have resourced policies, compared to 53% in the rest of the world. The mental health workforce is a tenth of the global average (0.9 professionals per 100,000 population vs. 9 per 100,000 population).
If Africa is to achieve the WHO Action Plan objectives, and the SDGs, and if people affected by mental health problems are to be able to lead better lives, we need a new approach. Innovative, practical and locally tailored solutions which have been developed in Africa need to be scaled up to meet needs, and greater international and local investment is needed to support them.
As a contribution to this global effort, the Royal African Society and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) are joining forces to present a landmark conference hosted by the Wellcome Trust in London on 20 November 2019 under the title, “Mental Health in Africa: Innovation and Investment”. The conference will bring together African and global mental health leaders to review progress in meeting the objectives set out in WHO’s Mental Health Action Plan by 2030, and plan for how to bring about transformative change. In a linked conference taking place in Burkina Faso on 5-6 November, the West African Health Organisation and CBM International will bring together regional leaders to discuss regional strategies, and feed back to the London conference, adding the perspective of Francophone and Lusophone priorities.
As the tide turns for mental health globally, we hope these conferences will play a role in ensuring that mental health can be a greater part of achieving not only wellbeing for people in the continent, but wider national development aspirations.
MENTAL HEALTH IN WORKPLACE
During our adult lives, a large proportion of our time is spent at work. Our experience in the workplace is one of the factors determining our overall well being. Employers and managers who put in place workplace initiatives to promote mental health and to support employees who have mental disorders see gains not only in the health of their employees but also in their productivity at work. A negative working environment, on the other hand, may lead to physical and mental health problems, harmful use of substances or alcohol, absenteeism and lost productivity.
MENTAL HEALTH IN FAMILIES AND ITS IMPORTANCE
Mental health is vital to the way families function. The family environment can play a crucial role in creating positive mental health for each family member, especially children. Relationships within our family help give us a sense of worth and value. As we engage with our family, we learn how to understand each other. These interactions with our families create emotional intelligence and deeper connections with them, and with others outside the home.
The experiences we have with our family give us insight into other experiences, opinions, and mental health. We learn how to be open to the differences between people and how to navigate those differences so that we can connect with them. These experiences teach us how to be confident enough to articulate what is happening in our thought bubbles and to understand what is happening in the thought bubbles of others.
The mental health of a family affects the children in that family, positively or negatively. And that is why it is vital to give adequate attention to mental health in African Families in this 21st century.
A SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVE TO MENTAL HEALTH IN AFRICA
From a spiritual perspective, mental health comes from being aware that we are all children of God, and we each have important roles. We shouldn’t be comparing ourselves to other members of our family, assessing whether we are the best or the worst at something. Instead, we should notice the importance and value of each person in our home. Our kids need to feel loved and accepted for who they are at home, not threatened by the idea that they may not be the best at a particular skill or talent. It’s always good to compete and to strive to get better at something, but our kids should do this for personal growth, not to find value in the world.
As you share life’s experiences as a family—whether it be resting together on the Sabbath or sharing a camping trip—that togetherness will create aspects of mental health that will positively impact the life of your kids. When you are mentally healthy as a family, you desire a balance of rest and activity. When that balance is disturbed, your mental health can tip off-center as well.
To be able to help our kids have mental health, we as parents need to have positive mental health first. Imagine a flight attendant on an airplane. When they do their safety demonstration with the oxygen masks, they always instruct you to put your mask on first and then help your kids. The same goes for mental health. Parents must work on themselves having good mental health first so that we can teach our children to do the same. Glasses can’t be filled from an empty pitcher, and neither can our kids be filled if we have nothing to pour into.
By way of conclusion, prominence should be given to mental health in Africa. Health in general should be wholistic, not to be taken partially. And in order for awareness to be created, every country in Africa needs to consciously take the mental health of her citizens seriously. Just as there are primary health care facilities, so, it is paramount to have mental health care facilities as well. Let there be recruitment/training of personnel suitable for this cause. So that in a couple of years from now, when the mental health of citizens on the African continent stabilizes, we will not have cases of women stabbing their husbands, men beating their wives, as well as being being aggressive and violent at home–domestic violence will reduce to zero, and our young ones will not be under unnecessary duress. We must therefore come together so that we can work towards achieving this.
Disclaimer
All statistical records are obtained from the World Health Organization, Regional Office for Africa, published in 2015. Accessed on 10th of June, 2021.