Bauchi First Lady Inaugurates Mental Health Committee

Wife of the Bauchi State governor, Dr Aisha Bala Mohammed has inaugurated a mental health steering committee for the total wellbeing of the people of the state.

Inaugurating the committee yesterday, the first lady observed that mental health is not merely the absence of illness, but one that encompasses emotional wellbeing, resilience and the ability to cope with life’s challenges.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), one in eight people globally are living with mental health conditions, with depression being one of the leading causes of disability and the most common emotional problem experienced during adolescent age.

She noted with dismay that people with mental health conditions continue to receive inadequate services across the globe.

Dr Aisha who was represented by the overseeing permanent secretary, Bauchi State Ministry of Women Affairs, Mr Dahiru Abdullahi said “It is no doubt that many Nigerians are going through different forms of mental health challenges. The WHO status report on mental health in Nigeria estimates that 20 percent or about 40 million Nigerians are affected by mental health conditions with only about 10 percent of those with seriously disabling mental health conditions receiving any treatment within the previous 12 months.

She explained that traditionally, mental health services focused on secondary prevention, detecting and treating disorders after their onset, stating however that converging evidence highlights the potential of primary preventive and promotion strategies.

“By addressing mental health early, we can prevent worsening conditions, reduce suffering and enhance overall well-being. I therefore call the attention of all relevant stakeholders and partners to come up with innovations and strategies on how best mental health interventions in communities would be strengthened,” she said.

According to her, the establishment of the Mental Health Steering Committee in Bauchi followed a directive from the Federal Ministry of Health to ensure proper coordination, strengthening and implementation of mental health interventions in the state.

The first lady reaffirmed that the ultimate goal of the Kauran Bauchi-led administration is to have a fully functional, result-oriented, affordable, accessible and inclusive health system that focuses more on the most disadvantaged, particularly people living in the rural areas, and vulnerable populations such as women, children and the elderly.