By: Binta Jaiteh
The Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Emmanuel Joof, has said it is estimated that 27,000 people in The Gambia suffer from severe mental or substance abuse disorders, with an additional 91,000 individuals living with mild mental health challenges that still require treatment.
The Gambia, like many other countries, continues to grapple with the consequences of mental health related disorders as persons with mental health problems face discrimination, stigmatization, isolation and exclusion in the society.
Speaking on Tuesday at the opening ceremony of a two- day stakeholders’ dialogue on Mental Health Rights in The Gambia, organized by NHRC in collaboration with the healthministry, ActionAid International The Gambia, World Health Organisation at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre, the NHRC chair said: “Tanka Tankapsychiatric facility dedicated to mental health in the country continues to grapple with inadequate human, material, technical and financial resources, leaving countless individuals without care and support they desperately need.”
According to him, NHRC since its operation in 2019,recognized that mental health is not only a public health issue but a critical human rights concern.
“Stigma, discrimination, and neglect surrounding shall have the right to the best attainable state of physical and mental health,” he pointed out.
Mr. Joof argued that currently the law addressing issues of mental health in The Gambia is the Lunatics Detention Actwhich, he described as a colonial legislation enacted in 1917 and last amended in 1964, with very outdated provisions that lack framework to deal with issues of mental health.
“We firmly believe that addressing mental health challenges requires a collaborative effort and this can effectively be done by bringing together stakeholders from diverse sectors to explore innovative solutions and chart a way forward,” he underlined.
The Vice President, Muhammed B.S Jallow, maintained that mental health remains a critical global issue.
“The World Bank Organization estimated that one in four people will experience mental health illness in their lifetime, with depression and anxiety alone costing the global economy approximately $1 trillion annually,” he said.
“In Gambia, the rise in mental health condition exacerbated by the abuse of substances such as Kush, cannabis and other hard drugs has become a pressing concern,” he pointed out.
He stated that the 2020 service statistics report highlight the adverse impact of the Covid 19 pandemic further intensifying mental health challenges in the country.
The Executive Director of Action- Aid International-The Gambia, Madam Ndella Faye-Colley, described the dialogue as timely and important, stating that mental health has been a challenge and is still an issue of concern in many countries and The Gambia is no exception. “This is increasingly true with more vulnerable groups being affected by mental health problems, particularly the youth,” she stressed.
Madam Faye-Colley gave an assurance of Action- Aid’s continuous collaboration with stakeholders to pool the limited resources and work together to improve mental advocacy and service delivery in The Gambia.