ZNPHI calls for improved mental health awareness in rural areas

THERE is a need for more mental health awareness in rural areas, a mental health specialist, has advised.

Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI) Mental Health Specialist, Dr.  Naeem Dalal stated that there was a lot of work to be done in rural areas on education of mental health and mental ill health in the country.

Speaking to The Scoop, Dr. Dalal explained that it was encouraging to see urban communities making good progress in terms of mental health awareness and that the same needed to be witnessed in rural communities.

He said that as rural areas need mental health understanding and awareness it was imperative to ensure it was culturally appropriate as a country like Zambia had beliefs and values that were protecting factors for people’s well-being that needed to be explained in terms of mental health and illness.

“Presently, provincial centres are doing much better as the Ministry of Health and other line ministries have a positive strategy on mental health integration into all activities being done in various ministries,” he disclosed.

He said all the 10 provincial hubs had mental health facilities being supported by mental health specialists aimed at building community engagements so that more people come through for mental health assistance.

He expressed delight as more people were reaching out for mental health assistance and receiving the help they needed and called for improvement in case management, a situation that helped patients be informed on how they were fairing mentally and the treatment they needed.

He disclosed that the involvement of the National Health Insurance Management Authority (NHIMA) and the Zambia Medical Medicines Supplies Authority (ZAMMSA) as key partners involved in mental health programs had helped improve the mental health situation in the country.

“Many health specialists are supporting the cause and have come on board providing mental health care through lobbying and policy,” he stated.

He explained that surveillance is also an important area that needs to be worked on in terms of feasibility as it will help determine the number of people affected by mental health.

And Dr.  Dalal said that Mental Health care at community level was being offered but was yet to be improved.