By Abiemwense Moru
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare recently issued an urgent call to action: `Don’t ignore the mental health of individuals afflicted with Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)`.
These diseases, associated with poverty not only affect physical health but also have severe mental implications for victims including depression and anxiety.
Neglected tropical diseases include dengue, river blindness, leprosy and sleeping sickness.
NTDs, characterised by swollen legs and skin infections, are often met with stigma and discrimination, exacerbating the mental health struggles of those affected.
According to public health experts, the spread of NTDs is mainly fueled by poor hygienic conditions which are often associated with poverty.
They say infections from these diseases can result in serious physical damage. Due to the cost of treatment and stigma, the victims’ engagement in economic activities is limited.
They are vulnerable to poverty therefore often a burden to people around them.
About 100 million Nigerians are at risk of neglected tropical diseases, according to GAVI, a global vaccine initiative.
“I was crying all the time and I often wished I hadn’t survived to witness the stigma and social impact of the disease“ Mulikat an NTD survivor said in a publication by Doctors without Borders.
According to the report, another survivor, Mohammed was so stigmatised that he became reclusive.
“I can go anywhere now, and I don’t feel ashamed,” he said in the publication.
Dr Ojo Tunde, National Coordinator, National Mental Health Programme, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, emphasises the need to address these conditions through patient-centered approaches and medical interventions.
A recent workshop in Abuja brought together stakeholders to validate baseline data for a research project on integrating mental health into NTD management.
“NTDs is a disease of poverty and it is associated with a lot of stigma.
“What we found out is that even beyond the NTDs, there is something that has been neglected about these people with chronic medical conditions.
“So people with NTDs are with swollen legs, all those skin infections that are associated with a lot of stigma, if you see people in the community, how they look at it’’, says Tunde at a recent workshop in Abuja.
According to him researches have shown that neglected NTDs victims, apart from suffering stigma and discrimination are also exposed depression and anxiety.
“So how do we address all these conditions among these people’’, he rhetorically.
Recognising that government efforts alone cannot suffice, Tunde said the ministry was ready to partner with individuals and groups towards finding a lasting solution to the problem.
One of such efforts is collaboration with CMB Global Disability Inclusion.
“They have collected what we call baseline data and then stakeholders are coming together to look at what the baseline is like.
“What are the things that they found on the field so that as we go into the implementation phase, we will compare at the end of the project how it has been effective compared with the baseline.
“We have the researchers, we have the ministry coordinating, we have the CBM Global Disability Inclusion as the manager of the funds,’” he said.
Prof. Taiwo Obindo, one of the leaders of the research team said called for awareness creation that mental health conditions could happen to anybody.
According to him, the fact that somebody has skin disease, leprosy or any other NTD is not the end of the world.
According to Musa Mohammed, community leaders should ensure that members of their communities suffering or who suffered from NTDs do not suffer any form of discrimination.
“As a community leader, anything you tell them, they believe because of trust, especially religious leaders”, he said.
Mrs Yemisi Oladepo, a nurse at Kwali Primary Health Centre, urged members of the public to show empathy to persons with NTDs.
According to her, when a mother is depressed is not an easy thing, they feel bad, they are rejected and neglected.
She said that with the knowledge she gained from training and workshop, she had been able to relate well with them to the point that they do not need any referral.
“We do home visiting, we give reassurance and help them to maintain their health too,’’ she said,
Public health experts say the way forward to addressing the challenge posed by stigma and mental health issues among NTDs victims remains education.
They say members of the public should be made to understand the intersection between NTDs and mental health.
It is only when they do so that they will be promoting inclusiveness and empathy with a view to protecting the mental health and social status of NTDs victims and survivors. (NANFeatures)
