People And Places

MENSAH MENTAL HEALTH REHABILITATION PROJECT OPENS BRANCH IN SIERRA LEONE

Asempa DawuroAsempa Dawuro
Oct 24, 2023 - 10:59
Oct 25, 2023 - 17:02
 0  97
MENSAH MENTAL HEALTH REHABILITATION PROJECT OPENS BRANCH IN SIERRA LEONE
A new branch in Sierra Leone is a timely intervention
MENSAH MENTAL HEALTH REHABILITATION PROJECT OPENS BRANCH IN SIERRA LEONE
MENSAH MENTAL HEALTH REHABILITATION PROJECT OPENS BRANCH IN SIERRA LEONE

Emmanuel Adu Gyamfi

(Odopa2@gmail.com)

 KUL AT - A new hope for mental health prevention and support in Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone is about 27,699 square miles with a population of 8.6 million people.

It has a special significance in the history of the transatlantic slave trade as the departure point for thousands of West African captives.

Freetown, which is the capital, was the home for repatriated former slaves.

The common spoken languages of Sierra Leone are English and Krio, with life expectancy at 58 for men and 61 for women.

A 2002 Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MOHS) survey at the end of the civil war, indicated prevalence rates of 2% psychosis, 4% depression, 4% severe substance abuse, 1% mental retardation and 1% epilepsy.

In 2009, only 2058 of estimated 102,000 people with severe mental illness received treatment, resulting in a treatment gap of 98.0%.

The situation is particularly alarming among the youth. About half of the youth in the country are underemployed or unemployed, which contributes to stress, anxiety, and depression.

Some find resort in drug and alcohol abuse leading to mental illness. With the growing awareness of the need to address mental health in Sierra Leone, Mensah Mental Health Rehabilitation Project (MEMHREP), launched a mental health program in both urban and rural parts of the country.

Over the years, MEMHREP has been dedicated to addressing the plight and distress of persons living with mental illness and other vulnerabilities across Africa and beyond.

It is on these backdrops, that the NGO deemed it appropriate to open a branch in Sierra Leone on 14th August, 2023.

The primary goal of the Non - Governmental Organisation (NGO) is to provide shelter, medical care, and employable skills to their service users in other to reintegrate them into society.

 MEMHREP operates on a variety of modules including Community Mental Health Support, Mental Health Education, Community Outreach Programme, FEE (Feed, Educate and Employ), and the Agricultural programme.

The event which was well patronised, saw in attendance important dignitaries, opinion leaders, students and academia.

The Sierra Leone Country - Director of MEMHREP , Joetrice Kangbai said the opening of a branch was timely due to the increasing rate of drug abuse amongst the youth in the country. She asked for the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders to make the operation of MEMHREP in Sierra Leone a success.

The CEO of MEMHREP, Mr Adu - Gyamfi, who chaired the occasion, was worried about the neglect of quality healthcare for persons living with mental illness across Africa.

He said the threats posed by mentally - challenged persons living on the streets cannot be overlooked, appealing for shelter for such persons to boost and restore investor confidence.

He also called on the business community, religious bodies and the public to donate towards the operation of the NGO as well as the building of an ultra - modern rehabilitation centre in Ghana for persons living with mental illness.

He emphasized that, the project upon completion, will serve the whole of Africa even though it would be headquartered in Ghana.

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