Minister, Experts Urge Nigerians To Prioritise Mental Health
By Abdullahi Ahmad Bamalli
Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, and other mental health experts have urged stakeholders to prioritise mental health support for all, especially for people living with disabilities.
The minister made the call in Abuja yesterday, during the National Wellness, Mental Health Sessions, organised by the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP), of the Federal Ministry of Health in collaboration with its partners, as part of activities to commemorate this year’s edition of World Mental Health Day with the theme: ‘Make Mental Health and Wellbeing for all a Global Priority.’
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Ehanire, who was represented by Dr Morenike Alex-Okoh, director of Public Health at the ministry said, “We need to make mental health a priority, a lifestyle and engage in things that will promote wellness.”
He also urged the youth and elderly to make mental health a priority.
He said, “This event is designed to create awareness and encourage us to take it according to the World Health Organisation. There is no health without mental health, so it is very important and we all need to prioritize it.”
Also at the event, the national coordinator National Mental Health Programme (NMHP), Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Tunde Ojo, said mental health is not just about diseases but well-being, and people being in their right state of mind.
Ojo added that exercises and wellness programmes are ways in which Nigerians can enhance their mental health.
The founder Nigerian Mental Health, Chime Asonye, explained how the lack of proper legislation has hindered the promotion of mental health in Nigeria.
He said the National Mental Health Bill has passed all the readings and is currently being harmonised by both chambers of the national assembly for passage, and transmission to the president for his accent.
On her part, Lucy Abeng, founder of Mental Health Youth Initiative said her organisation took part in the event to raise awareness on several mental health issues, well-being and promote activities people could do that could help mental health awareness.
She further appealed to the National Assembly to speed up the passage of the National Health Bill, as this will be for the benefit of all Nigerians.
