No fewer than 50 million Nigerians are suffering from mental disorders.

Dr Ibrahim Wakawa, Chief Medical Director (CMD), Federal Neuro Psychiatric Hospital, Maiduguri, raised the alarm at the unveiling of the Borno State Government Mental Health Strategic Implementation Plan in Maiduguri, yesterday.

Represented by Dr. Ibrahim Mshelia, a Mental Health Consultant at the hospital, Wakawa attributed the country’s high burden of mental disorders to insurgency, lack of awareness and health facilities to handle such cases.

The CMD said that studies have shown that one among four Nigerians were suffering from mental or psychosocial, traumatic health problems.

He explained that the hospital was providing healthcare services to about 30 million people in the North-East and other regions .

“At least, 60 per cent of people attending primary health care have mental disorder. Effective treatment and management of mental health can be delivered in primary health care.”

Dr. Owili Collins, Emergency Manager, World Health Organisation (WHO) in Nigeria, said the organisation was working with the state and federal governments to improve mental health through various interventions.

Related News

Represented by Mr. Isaac Bwatin, a WHO Mental Health Officer, Collings said the organisation had trained 154 primary healthcare workers, staff on common signs of mental illness in order to provide humanitarian services to persons displaced by Boko Haram.

“WHO is working on a long term plan with the Borno State and Federal Government to transform mental healthcare through implementation of the plan and interventions within the framework.

He lamented that the horror, uncertainty and experience related to displacement and loss of livelihood had made people to be affected by mental health.

“Insurgency in the North-East has resulted in large volume of populations developing mental illness,’’ said the WHO official.

He listed some of the mental health problems to include depression, psychosis and pros-traumatic disorder.

Ms Deborah Magdalena, the IOM Coordinator of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support sub-working group, said the organisation has been supporting Nigeria since 2005.