The Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, has said? that his administration is collaborating with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to bring more visibility to mental health care in the state.
Fashola made the disclosure at the mental health advocacy walk which took place in Ikeja on Thursday.
The walk, which involved about 150 people, including government officials, mental health care experts and notable Nollywood celebrities, was to commemorate the World Mental health day held on October10.
Fashola, who was represented by his special adviser on public health, Mrs Yewande Adeshina, said that mental health was of top priority to the state government.
According to him, there is no health without mental health, as physical health is nothing when a person is mentally deficient.Fashola said his government was committed to supporting every activity that was related to mental health.
“The issue of mental health is of utmost importance to the government and that is why it has developed six mental health policies which would tackle mental illness,” he said.
The permanent secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Mr Femi Olugbile, said that the ministry was poised to do everything in its power to tackle the issue of mental health.
Olugbile said it was disheartening that an issue such as mental illness which affects about 15 per cent of the population was lurking in the shadow of other illnesses, stressing the need to constantly sensitise the public and provide adequate information on the illness to reduce the number of people affected by the condition.
He explained that there was more to mental illness than treatment as the patients also needed post-treatment support and counseling, which the health ministry was willing to assist with.
“Mentally ill people need all the love and support they can get as they are usually stigmatised.
“The Ministry of Health will do everything in its power to assist in this area and help them live normal lives,” he said.
Chairman, Primary Health care Board, Mrs Yinka Abosede, said that each local government in the state had at least three medical personnel trained in mental health care to help support and counsel mentally ill people after treatment.
Abosede said that this was the board’s contribution to tackling mental health care issues in the state (NAN)
The walk, which had the theme “GREAT PUSH: Investing In Mental Health,” started from Allen Avenue junction and ended at the Lagos State Ministry of Health office at the state secretariat, Alausa.