Afrigather 
Borno, 19 April 2024 – Within the midst of humanitarian crises, the psychological well being wants of displaced and underserved populations typically go neglected.
Recognizing this hole, the World Well being Group (WHO) has partnered with the governments of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states (BAY), to take proactive steps to equip native healthcare staff with expertise wanted to help the susceptible populations residing within the area grappling with psychological well being challenges on account of extended humanitarian disaster.
The displacement of communities, coupled with the trauma of battle and violence, has led to a heightened demand for psychological well being help.
Figuring out the urgency of the scenario, WHO, with funding from the the European Fee Humanitarian Assist (ECHO), has launched initiatives to construct the capability of native healthcare staff in offering a complete psychological well being care.
Via focused coaching program, 240 major healthcare clinicians, together with medical docs, nurses, midwives, and group well being extension staff (CHEWs), had been empowered to supply fundamental psychological well being care throughout 142 Major Healthcare Facilities (PHCs) throughout the 65 Native Authorities Areas (LGAs) of the BAY States.
The PHC method is a strategic tactic encompassing promotive, preventive, healing, rehabilitative, and palliative care. The healthcare staff had been equpped with expertise to supply fundamental counselling, cut back stigma, and lift consciousness about acute stress dysfunction, post-traumatic stress dysfunction (PTSD), and different important emotional or medically unexplained complaints. They’re additionally able to providing care and therapy to sufferers with average to extreme despair, self-harm or suicidal tendencies, dementia, and alcohol and drug use issues.
This integration ensures that psychological well being care shouldn’t be handled as a separate entity however somewhat as an integral a part of the general well being care supply companies.
Fasuma Mohammed, a well being employee from Karasuwa LGA, Yobe State, stated she has instantly benefitted from WHO’s psychological well being care coaching enabling her to make significant distinction within the lives of these affected by displacement and battle residing in her group.
As a well being employee, Fasuma stated she had witnessed first-hand affect of displacement and trauma on the well-being of people and households residing inside her group.
“Earlier than the coaching, I felt ill-equipped to deal with the complicated psychological well being points wanted by the affected person. However armed with this new information, I’ve begun integrating psychological well being screenings psychological healthcare and psychosocial help at my well being facility, she stated.
Fasuma additionally performs a key function in elevating consciousness about psychological well being points and lowering stigma by way of group sensitization and information sharing with colleagues.
“Psychological well being is an integral a part of the well-being and WHO is dedicated to offering psychological healthcare in hard-to-reach and inaccessible settlements.
This initiative is the primary of its variety within the BAY states and goals to boost the capabilities of clinicians in assessing, treating, and referring psychological well being issues at an early stage. WHO will proceed to work intently with the host governments to assist bridge the gaps in early identification and therapy of psychological well being points amongst people who’re uncovered to poverty, violence, incapacity, and inequality, stated Dr Kumshida Yakubu Balami, the WHO’s Interim Emergency Supervisor for Northeast Nigeria.
This intervention is without doubt one of the 5 strategic priorities within the WHO-Nigeria Nation Cooperation Technique (CCSIV) in direction of common well being protection (UHC) and managing well being emergencies.
Technical Contact:
Dr Kumshida Yakubu Balami, Tel: + 2349062740627, e mail: balamik [at] who.int
