Shrink Njenga to chair mental health task force
Health CS Sicily Kariuki has appointed a task force to assess mental health systems and mental well being of Kenyans.
The team to be co-chaired by Dr Frank Njenga and an official from the Health Ministry was inaugurated on Wednesday.
This was after President Uhuru Kenyatta last month directed the ministry to establish a task force on the status of mental health in country.
President Kenyatta’s order came amidst rising depression and mental sickness related murder and suicide cases.
The team has been tasked with coming up with new policies to address growing concerns about mental health among Kenyans.
Uhuru stated that the findings of the task force, which will be discussed in Cabinet within 90 days, will assist the government in allocation of resources to mental health.
Njenga is a mental health consultant who has authored several scientific papers and books.
He has been in private practice for the past 21 years and is an active participant in social, political and medical fields in Kenya, Africa and the World.
He has previously served as president of the African Association of Psychiatrists and Allied Professions and a member of the Publications Committee of World Psychiatric Association.
“We are greatly concerned by the rising trends of suicide mortality, acts of violence and the burden of mental health conditions,” CS Kariuki said.
“On behalf of Kenyans the task force has a responsibility to assess the causes of the increase in mental ill-health occurrences and recommend transformative solutions to the epidemics.”
The task force is expected to assess the mental health systems including the legal, policy and administrative environment to identify areas that may benefit from reform for optimal delivery.
In addition, the team was urged to broadly consider the changing societal dynamics and associated threats to mental well-being such as substance abuse, gambling, sexual and gender based violence, cyber bullying, child abuse and neglect.
The CS said identification and promotion of positive attributes and opportunities to safeguard the mental well-being of all individuals in a sustainable and all-encompassing mechanism is key.
“The universal health coverage agenda has mental health as priority focus area to ensure an increase to access to mental health services with reduced financial burden,” she said.
The CS reiterated that the investments earmarked for UHC aim to strengthen the health systems at both national and county levels of government with strong focus on primary health care.
This, she said, will promote the health and mental well being of the population through early identification, person centered and responsive mental health interventions.
“It is therefore imperative that the systems for prevention and those of delivering care for mental ill-health are in harmony,’ the CS noted.
Depression is the most commonest mental illness worldwide.
The World Health Organisation 2014 report ranked Kenya at position four in Africa with 1.9 million people who have the condition.
According to the Kenya Mental Health Policy (2015-2030), 20-25 per cent of outpatients seeking primary healthcare present symptoms of mental illness.
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