Nigeria: FG Urged to Integrate Mental Health Into Primary Health Care

21 April 2009

A CALL has gone to Federal government to integrate mental health services into Primary Health Care (PHC), even as the nation is being described as the country with the most retrogressive mental health law in the world.The call for integration was made as part of agitation for complete review of the nation's mental health programme towards improvement of health service to Nigerians.

Making the call in Lagos last week during a mental health stakeholders" meeting at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Prof. Oye Gureje of the Department of Psychiatry, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, noted that there exists a major deficit between the need for mental health service and available resources to address the need. He opined that there may be no improved mental health services in Nigeria, until the National Mental Health Programme and Action Plan promulgated in 1991 is well implemented in addition to availability of essential drugs in primary care clinics and reduction of stigma.

...

AllAfrica publishes around 400 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.