New report shows that investment in mental health is still lacking Kampala, Uganda | PATRICIA AKANKWATSA | Uganda spends 9.8% of its GDP on healthcare and only 1% of that is spent on mental healthcare. Dr. Juliet Nakku, the Executive Director of Butabika National Referral Hospital, says that the current …
Read More »Worldwide failure to invest in mental health during pandemic: WHO
Geneva, Switzerland | Xinhua | A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) points to a global failure to provide people with the mental health services they need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Published on Friday, the triennial WHO Mental Health Atlas shows data from 171 countries, and highlights that despite …
Read More »Suicide attempts on the rise in the country – MOH
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The number of people thinking of and attempting to commit suicide is on the rise, according to mental health experts from the Ministry of Health. According to estimates, over 500 people thought of committing suicide or even attempted it between January and June. Records from …
Read More »Agago district struggles to provide mental health services
Agago, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Agago district is struggling to provide mental health services. This is due to the lack of psychiatrists and adequate funding. The district receives all mental health services from the Catholic-owned Dr Ambrosoli Memorial Hospital Kalongo. The hospital has consecutively for the past five financial years …
Read More »Covid-19: MOH arranges mandatory counseling sessions for health workers
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The mental health task force in the Health Ministry is scheduled to hold mental and psycho-social support sessions for medical workers involved in treating COVID-19 patients effective Friday 9th June, 2021. The move is in response to the worsening mental and psycho-social distress among medical …
Read More »Mental Health Uganda embarks on door to door drive amidst lockdown
Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Mental Health Uganda has embarked on the door to door monitoring of their clients in Gulu and Omoro districts. The move was prompted by the current lockdown announced by the government to contain the spread of COVID-19. The monitoring visits involve 1,002 peers with specific …
Read More »Experts warn of mental health problems during second wave of Covid-19
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Families of people who have died from the second wave of Covid-19 or are infected could suffer mental problems. Mental health experts warn that patients, family members and also health workers are likely to suffer from anxiety and even mild depression. Dr Hillary Irimaso, a …
Read More »COVID-19 impacts mental health
Dan Bukenya’s case shows how the many restrictions imposed lead to increased levels of stress, anxiety and depression | THE INDEPENDENT | Dan Bukenya felt beleaguered by anguish. He lost sleep most nights and was often testy. He tried to self-medicate to no avail. Only when he agreed to be …
Read More »Intensify mental health care in villages – Experts
More services around mental health should be extended in all government health facilities Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Mental health experts say that many people in the rural communities are still suffering with issues of depression, anxiety, loneliness, trauma among others. As such, the experts now want services of mental health …
Read More »Mental health activists decry shortage of psychiatrists
Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Mental health activists are concerned about the inadequate number of psychiatrists in Uganda. They say that the shortage of psychiatrists in mental health facilities in the country has greatly affected the provision of mental health services and denied several clients from accessing or getting adequate …
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