Monrovia – A local civil society group under the banner “Cultivation for Users Hope” has presented to the Legislature a petition on the urgency of action needed to fund the National Mental Health Policy and strategic plan.
The group Monday, August 19 gathered on Capitol Hill to lament the neglect persons with mental illness are enduring within the country and called on the lawmakers to do more for them.
The group hailed the efforts by the government and partners for raising mental health to the level of the national discourse.
They mentioned the 2017 passage of the Mental Health Law that calls for the protection and promotion of the fundamental human rights of all persons with mental illness in the country.
“We also note with great appreciation, the adoption of the 2016 National Mental Health Policy and Strategic Plan. It is more than three years now since the Government of Liberia adopted the Policy and Strategic Plan,” the group said.
“The plan initially had a five year span, to indicate that, as the Government of Liberia committed, the country will be able to modernize existing mental health services, the country will create new and additional services, and the country will recruit and train qualified staff to improve the quality of care available to all persons with mental illness.
“But as the maxim goes, we Liberians are good at crafting policies, but to follow up and ensure policies are implemented is a big challenge. The same has been the situation with the mental health policy and strategic plan.”
In their petition, the group said, three years after the policy was adopted, there has been no further action taken to give effect to the policy.
“Persons suffering from mental illnesses are on the streets; in cases where families neglect them, they are left at the mercy of community people. This has meant that persons with mental illness suffer the most heinous abuses yet unreported.
“In view of the above, we are here today to urge you, honorable Legislators, to make mental health a priority as you begin to discuss the 2019-2020 National Budget.”
Amongst many challenges, the Civil Society group named the absence of medication for persons with mental illness in the country – which they said is causing an alarming rate of relapses among persons recovering from mental illness.
They also complained about the impact of stigma related to mental illness, which the group emphasized is even severe than the illness itself.
In the mental health policy, the Government committed to realizing the increased clinical capacity of mental health professionals, training more medical practitioners who are qualified to deal with mental health issues in the health care system, increase in-patient capacity through the establishment of wellness unit’s at all county hospitals and train selected professionals to identify, manage and refer persons with mental illness at primary care level.
Additionally, the policy also calls for necessary psychotropic drugs in order to expand the availability, access of mental health services at all primary care facilities, training community-based workers to recognize the signs of mental illness and make referrals to the appropriate healthcare providers and facilities; Sensitize communities about mental illness including epilepsy and addiction; and modify negative perceptions about persons with mental illness, thereby minimizing stigma and negative behaviors; and encourage families to get involved in the care and management of their loved ones.