Ashley Nyambe
THE Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Kalumbi Shangula, has called on African Nations to increase investment in the provision and promotion of mental health programmes and services.
The minister shared this at the Second Joint High-Level Continental Seminar on the Right to Health and Social Protections in Africa.
The seminar, which was attended by several high-level African dignitaries on Monday in Windhoek, was hosted to raise awareness of the African Charter, the Maputo Protocol and other relevant instruments related to the provision of adequate and affordable healthcare and social protection services for citizens, especially women, in Africa.
According to Shangula, the Covid-19 pandemic exposed many gaps in the healthcare systems in Africa, particularly concerning the promotion, prevention and rehabilitation of mental health and substance abuse.
He said that a discussion regarding the neglected crisis of mental health in Africa is critical. If not discussed and addressed, he explained, this crisis, plus the crisis of domestic and gender-based violence (GBV), could potentially erode progress made on health, human rights and social protection in Africa.
Despite this, Shangula acknowledged that the continent has come far. He highlighted the signing and ratification of the Maputo Protocol – which is essentially an instrument that aims to guarantee comprehensive rights for women – as evidence of this progress.
However, Shangula emphasised that it is imperative to ensure that action is taken to turn the intentions outlined in the Maputo Protocol into a unified resolve with tangible results.
He also urged African leaders to promote and enact progressive laws, develop policies and action plans for reproductive health, economic empowerment, political emancipation of women and ending all forms of violence against women and girls.
