Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, has said though most mental health conditions can be effectively treated at relatively low cost, the gap between people needing care and those with access to care remains substantially wide.

The minister, who stated this yesterday at a ministerial press briefing on update on COVID-19 and other diseases, in Abuja, said there is therefore, the need to increase investment on all fronts for mental health awareness to increase understanding and reduce stigmatisation of mental illness.

He said increased investment will help increase access to quality mental health care, effective treatments, adding that it will also help in the area of research to identify new treatments and improve existing treatments for all mental health disorders.

Ehanire said the COVID-19 pandemic had exacerbated mental health problems due to disease experience, physical distancing, stigma and discrimination, and job losses in many of the settings worst hit by the pandemic.

"It has led to an increased prevalence of anxiety and depression by 25 per cent and the impact is expected to linger beyond the pandemic. The pandemic also impeded access to mental health services and has raised concerns about increase in suicidal behavior," he said.

He, however, said that the Federal Ministry Health had established the National Mental Health Programme to coordinate a national response and facilitate the development of relevant mental health policies, programmes and interventions in Nigeria.