As Nigeria joined the rest of the world to mark this year’s World Mental Health Day, the executive secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Tony Ojukwu, has urged the government to give effect to the National Mental Health Act (2023) in other to enhance realisation of Mental Health Rights in the country.
Ojukwu, who spoke at a press briefing in commemoration of the the 2023 World Mental Health Day, theme: “Mental Health is a Universal Human Right’, on Tuesday in Abuja, also called for humane treatment of persons with mental health conditions, psycho-social or cognitive disabilities as they also ought to be beneficiaries of right to dignity of the human person.
Represented by the deputy director, investigation (monitoring), Iheme Richmond, the executive secretary said the Mental Health Act reaffirms mental health as a human right.
“This is symbolic having been eloquently re-echoed in the theme for 2023 World Mental Health Day.
“Having passed the Mental Health Bill into law and subsequent Presidential assent, what next? How have the spirit and letters of the legislation been operationalized? How available is mental health care in the country? How accessible are they? Are they affordable? It needs to be underscored that availability, accessibility and affordability are central to government obligation in relation to all economic, social and cultural rights.
“The National Human Rights Commission therefore urges government to take further progressive steps to give effect to the legislation in order to enhance mental health in Nigeria.”
He further called on the government to urgently scale up measures to address economic and social conditions that affect mental well being of persons in the country.
In his remarks, the public health emergencies advisor, World Health Organization (WHO), Alexander Chimbaru, said mental health is a basic human right for all as everyone, everywhere has the right to the highest attainable standard of mental health.
He said everyone should have the right to live a life with dignity, equity, equality, and respect, and this includes people with mental health conditions.
However, he noted that due to several individual, environmental, socio-economic and demographic changes, the prevalence of mental health has been on the increase worldwide with depression and anxiety being the most common conditions.
“Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15-29 years old with low-and middle-income countries bearing the brunt of these deaths. One in five people living in post-conflict settings have a mental health condition. In addition, stigma, discrimination and human rights violation of people with mental health conditions continue to persist,” he added.
