By Sheku Putka Kamara
World Mental Health Day is an international day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma. It was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global mental health organization with members and contacts in more than 150 countries.
In Sierra Leone, Our Concern Sierra Leone Australia Alliance (OCSLAA)commemorated the day on the theme of 2023 -“Our minds, our rights.”
The day is commemorated on 10 October each and OCSLAA used the opportunity to join communities, partners and other stakeholders to unite behind the theme ‘Mental health is a universal human right” to improve knowledge, raise awareness and drive actions that promote and protect everyone’s mental health in line with the theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day anniversary.
‘Every human regardless of race, tribe, religious, political and cultural backgrounds has a right to the highest attainable standard of mental health. This includes the right to be protected from mental health risks, the right to available, accessible, acceptable, and good quality care, and the right to liberty, independence and inclusion in the community’s everyday life’ a statement read.
In Sierra Leone, OCSLAA commemorated the day by raising awareness about mental health.
Drug abuse, substance abuse and related disorders have heightened the prevalence of the social and health conditions particularly among young people.
Highlights of OCSLAA activities in preparation of the World Mental Health Day celebration among others are to recognize mental health and psychosocial personnel who are engaged in fighting against the menace that mental health poses on the lives of vulnerable people and communities.
‘Let us increase engagements with relevant actors and stakeholders to increase knowledge and awareness through sensitization on mental health in Sierra Leone.
Good mental health is vital to our overall health and well-being. Yet one in eight people globally are living with mental health conditions, which can impact their physical health, their well-being, how they connect with others, and their livelihoods.
Mental health conditions are also affecting an increasing number of adolescents and young people’ the statement continued.
The World Health Organization has categorically stated that “Having a mental health condition should never be a reason to deprive a person of their human rights or to exclude them from decisions about their own health…” Yet all over the world, including in Sierra Leone people with mental health conditions continue to experience a wide range of human rights violations. Many are excluded from community life and discriminated against. Many more cannot access the mental health care they need nor access care that recognizes and respects their human rights.”
OCSLAA will continue to work openly with relevant institutions of state and the WHO as partners to ensure mental health is valued, promoted, protected, and that urgent action is taken so that everyone can exercise their human rights and access the quality mental health care they need.
Join the World Mental Health Day 2023 campaign to learn more about the basics of mental health as well as how to protect the rights of the most vulnerable.
“For me, I have a passion of love for Mental Health since it precludes all that my religion, Islam entails to love all mankind irrespective of race, tribe, religious, political, cultural background, and where you live. I believe this is a universal truth in almost all religions to relate to and promote the human rights of all and sundry,” said the CEO of Our Concern Sierra Leone Australia Alliance (OCSLAA).
Copy right –Printed in the Expo Times Week end Newspaper on Friday 13th October, 2023 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
