Nigeria has fewer than 200 psychiatrists for over 200 million individuals – APN
The Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN) has raised alarm over the nation’s important scarcity of psychological well being professionals, revealing that fewer than 200 psychiatrists can be found to serve Nigeria’s inhabitants of over 200 million individuals.
This was disclosed by APN President, Prof. Taiwo Obindo, throughout the fifty fifth annual basic convention and scientific assembly held in Ilorin, the place he described the scenario as a urgent problem requiring pressing authorities intervention.
The convention has as its theme: “Prioritizing Mental Health Needs of Nigeria in a Depressed Economy: An Urgent Call for Integrated, Comprehensive and Sustainable Interventions”.
Prof. Obindo attributed the worsening psychological well being disaster to the “Japa syndrome,” this phenomenon, he stated, has drastically depleted the variety of psychological well being Practitioners within the nation.
“The remaining professionals are overworked and poorly remunerated,” Obindo lamented, emphasizing that these tides have to be stemmed and reversed to retain psychological well being practitioners.
Government neglect and budgetary constraints
Obindo acknowledged that psychological well being is but to be accorded the wanted consideration by the federal government, contrasting it with Canada, which had a practical Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions.
”Nigeria wants to put emphasis and significance on psychological well being. Mental well being within the nation continues to be a programme beneath the Department of Public Health within the Federal Ministry of Health,” he famous.
He additionally highlighted the inadequacy of well being funds allocations, “One different space needing consideration is the budgetary allocation to well being, and by extension, psychological well being, stand at lower than six per cent.
“This falls short of the Abuja Declaration of 2001, where health allocation was to be pegged at a minimum of 15 percent of every country’s annual budget,” Obindo acknowledged.
The APN president stated the affiliation had achieved some milestones within the institution of Mental Health Programme .
He referred to as for the implementation of the Mental Health Act of 2021, which changed the Lunacy Act of 1958 as a big milestone after greater than 30 years of failed efforts.
However, he confused the necessity for its full implementation to deal with the systemic challenges plaguing psychological healthcare supply.
Prevalence of psychological sickness and cultural boundaries
Also, talking in his lecture, Prof. Owoidoho Udofia of the University of Calabar stated a research revealed that 12 % of Nigerians endure from psychological and behavioural problems.
- He attributed the poor identification of psychological sickness amongst some medical practitioners to particular shortcomings of their strategy.
- Udofia additional identified that cultural components and misconceptions contribute to the underdiagnosis of psychological diseases. “Certain presence of culture-specific somatic symptoms, significantly lowered identification rate of mental illness by General practitioners in teaching hospitals,” he defined.
- The Consultant Psychiatrist additionally refuted colonial-era assumptions that Africans weren’t subtle sufficient to have melancholy.
- He defined that psychological sickness makes up lower than 30 per cent of the burden in instructing hospitals in Nigeria.
“The illness is not limited to conditions like schizophrenia and psychosis. Substance abuse is prevalent, highlighting the need for better diagnostic practices,” Udofia emphasised.
He additionally referred to as for enhancements in identification and analysis efforts to deal with the gaps in psychological well being care.
