21 May 2019

Jwaneng District Health Management Team (DHMT) head, Dr Evariste Muteba has emphasised the need for community awareness on mental health issues.

Speaking at a community mental health stakeholders workshop in Jwaneng recently, Dr Muteba said such issues had always been neglected countrywide, even in hospitals. He added that ignorance was the main contributing factor.

He said members of the community had to be made aware that people with mental disorders had equal rights as those mentally sound and should not be relegated to the lower levels of humanity.

“It is vital for members of the community to be taught how to handle people with mental illnesses, hence the need to engage community leaders to help spread this awareness,” he said.

He said it was a pity that most people, especially family members and close relatives, never take action when the patient was still stable until late.

Dr Muteba also promised that they would consider other avenues of reaching out to the community on the issue of awareness, and that such awareness should be preached at any available opportunity.

For her part, psychiatric mental health nurse, Ms Mosetsanagape Tjolinga said there were about 75 patients diagnosed with mental illness in Jwaneng and its catchment areas.

She said most of them were affected as a result of substance abuse, adding that it was high in the area.

“Mental health challenges also occur as people move through the different stages of life from childhood, teenage years, adulthood and old age. The HIV and AIDS pandemic is already exacting a heavy toll on mental health,” she said.

Moreover, she noted that there were challenges of adjustment to rapid urbanisation and socio-economic development in the region which resulted in overcrowding, loss of extended family system support, unemployment and school failure.

She said the factors gave rise to stresses which manifested in high rates of alcohol and substance abuse, violence, serious crimes and suicide among others.

“Botswana is faced with many mental health challenges and it is estimated that at least 3.7 per cent of the population is affected by mental ill health and psycho-social problems, and there are indications that this percentage will increase,” she said.

For his part, deputy district commissioner for Jwaneng, Mr Lesang Kgomoetsile said although different stakeholders were involved on the issues of mental health, they should always working in concert as they served one customer.

Mr Kgomoetsile also said cultural believes surrounding mental illness had to be tackled as most of them worked against efforts to instill knowledge among ordinary people, and that churches also needed to be brought on board, especially that some preached against the use of medication.

Detailing the objectives of the workshop, Ms Tjolinga said it aimed to define the roles and responsibilities of service users, providers and stakeholders in the prevention, promotion and treatment of mental illness in accordance with the national policy on Mental Health and Mental Disorders Act.

She said they wanted to advocate for the basic needs and human rights of mentally ill individuals as a vulnerable group in society as well as to reduce the stigma attached to mental illness and people with a mental disorder, their caregivers and the community.

Ms Tjolinga also said they aimed to promote the development of community-based rehabilitation services in mental health so as to take mental health services closer to individuals, their families and communities as well as to strengthen stakeholder relationships and coordination in mental health from all sectors. ENDS