A telecom company, 9mobile, has advocated increased mental health awareness, in keeping with its commitment to promote mental health and well-being. The teleco made the call at the second Vanguard Mental Health Summit.
At the summit, titled “Mental Health in a Distressed Economy,” health specialists were brought together to discuss the topic.
President of the World Medical Association, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, stressed the importance of government intervention to help the country reach a stable mental health condition. He also advocated for increased awareness and protection for persons with mental health concerns.
“Mental health discussion could not have been chosen at a better time than now. When all the countries of the world, including Nigeria, are still trying to recover from the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he stated.
Also in attendance, Professor of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, UNILAG, Professor Olatunji Francis Aina, stated, “Health is a complete state of physical, mental and social well-being and not mere absence of disease and infirmity. Mental health is so important that there is no health without mental health.”
Aina highlighted that “people’s mental health is vulnerable during economic distress or recession. In other words, economic recession and its associated problems such as unemployment, income decline, and huge debts are significantly associated with mental health issues, increased rate of common mental disorders, psycho-active substance use disorders and suicidal attempts.”
Giving his goodwill message at the Summit, 9mobile’s Executive Director, Regulatory and Corporate Affairs, Abdulrahman Ado, represented by 9mobile’s Public Relations Lead, Chineze Amanfo, emphasised the importance of having more dialogues around mental Health.
“Mental Health issues should be continually discussed,” she stated, “even with the incessant and overwhelming stories of suicide we hear every day.”
“As a customer-centric brand concerned with Nigerians’ well-being, we are doing everything we can to raise awareness through advocacy and ensure that the dialogue about mental health is perpetuated, hence the necessity for the 9mobile Health Talk Series.
“The virtual series aims to lay down mental health issues in very simple words so that everyday people can connect,” she explained.
9mobile organizes the health talk series as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) pillars – health, to raise public health awareness and generate conversation about mental health concerns and how to solve them in the best interests and well-being of society.