Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso – The Save the Rest Association (SAULER), in collaboration with the Christofel Blinden Mission (CBM), marked International Mental Health Day in a belated ceremony on October 19, 2023, in Ouahigouya. The event aimed to draw attention to the necessity for improved governmental action in the mental health sector.
According to a new release by Burkina Information Agency, SAULER’s commemoration centered around the theme “Mental health is a universal human right.” Adama Ouédraogo, President of the Association, stressed the importance of mental health awareness and called for broader access to care and treatment, particularly given the ongoing security and humanitarian crises in the region.
During a public conference in Ouahigouya, speaker Seydou Sourabié revealed that 41% of Burkina Faso’s population aged 18 and above suffer from some form of mental disorder. He expressed concern that the government’s response has been inadequate, particularly given the deteriorating mental health conditions exacerbated by the security crisis in the country.
In supporting data, Adama Ouédraogo cited that at the SAULER center alone, 42 out of 307 internally displaced persons (IDPs) consulted between January 1 and September 30, 2023, were identified as suffering from mental health issues.
Sourabié argued that the State needs to take robust measures to actualize the right to mental health, through a commitment to respecting, protecting, and implementing mental health services. He also emphasized the need for government initiatives aimed at curbing the importation and distribution of psychoactive substances.
One of the major challenges highlighted was the severe shortage of qualified healthcare professionals in the mental health sector. According to Ouédraogo, Burkina Faso has only 70 mental health centers, of which just 31 offer mental health services. The entire country has only 11 psychiatrists and 86 mental health officers, numbers that he deems insufficient for addressing the scale of the problem.
In conclusion, the conference called on both families and health professionals to create environments conducive to patient care and suggested community-level outpatient services as a viable solution.
Participant Hamadé Ouédraogo expressed gratitude towards SAULER for its significant contributions to the community and pledged to share the knowledge gained from the conference with his network. The event was also accompanied by discussions broadcast on local radio stations.