Only 251% of people with mental health disorders have access to specific care in low- and middle-income countries, according to the WHO. Juan Ciudad, an NGO, is promoting a program in Senegal to improve primary care for related conditions.
October 10th is World Mental Health Day, and as every year, Juan Ciudad NGO wants to dedicate a space to discuss this issue, which has a huge impact on people and communities, with special attention to the most vulnerable.
For the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is about our emotional, psychological, and social well-being and affects how we think, feel, and act when faced with different situations that life throws our way.
In our economically developed societies, funding and access to quality mental health services has traditionally been poor, a situation exacerbated during the pandemic, with healthcare services overwhelmed and, in many cases, paralyzed.
The reality is even more complicated for people living in impoverished countries. In these countries, the impact of COVID-19 is compounded by deficient healthcare systems that make access to quality treatment for these mental health-related conditions and illnesses even more difficult. The figures are telling: "More than 751% of people with mental, neurological, and substance use disorders do not receive any treatment for their condition," according to the international organization.
Mental Health and International Cooperation. Community Mental Health in Senegal
At Juan Ciudad NGO, we are involved in various projects addressing mental health in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. One of these projects is being implemented in Senegal, specifically in the regions of ThiĂšs, Louga, Fatick, and Kaolack i Diourbel, which together have a population of over 600,000.
The Dalal Xel center in Thies is the only hospital-based mental health center in the Thies region. It provides activities and social and healthcare services for people with mental health problems and has been operating in the country for over 20 years. It treats an average of 18,000 people annually in outpatient clinics, of whom 451 people are diagnosed with some type of mental illness. Schizophrenia, acute psychosis, and epilepsy account for 801 people.
This community mental health project complements the activities that the Brothers of St. John of God have been carrying out in the country since 2013. During 2020, the project benefited a total of 1,342 people in four rural communities, who received care and follow-up from a specialized mental health team.
This project, which aims to guarantee the right to mental health, consists of four goals:
- Facilitate the population's access to mental health care services by reducing geographical, economic, and sociocultural barriers.
- Strengthen local intervention networks.
- Empower and train beneficiaries, patients, and their families, in medical and personal care to strengthen their knowledge of public and community health.
- And finally, improve outpatient medical care through training of medical personnel and the reinforcement of materials and the purchase of equipment.
Various organizations are collaborating to carry out this large-scale project, including the Dalal-Xel center in Thies, in coordination with Juan Ciudad NGO and with the support of the Parc Sanitari San Joan de Deu Hospital, Sant Boi City Council, and the Carasso Foundation.
