Programme Director
Executive Mayor of the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality, Ms Moloi
Executive Mayor of Matlosana, Mr Kgauoe
All Chief Directors present
Senior Managers, Programme Managers and officials of the Department
Professor Uys from the National Department of Health
Mr Mookeletsi from the Mental Health Review Board
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
We are meeting here for yet another strategic session having just attended the Departmental Strategic Planning Lekgotla which is ending today. Hopefully those who attended the Lekgotla brought along some valuable lessons which will benefit this Summit substantially. I am saying this because one of the things I emphasised at the Lekgotla was the importance of supporting our core health programmes and mental health is one of the key health programmes.
The state of mental health services is such that it often does not receive the attention necessary to satisfy legislative requirements, the necessary resources and proper monitoring and evaluation. I think we are still struggling to fully integrate it within the broader health programmes. It would seem like mental health services are just relegated to the bottom in the order of priorities.
This is evident in a sense that even some of our people seem to always shun away from mental patients within our different communities. We are always quick to want to confine our mental patients to mental institutions. When they are there it would seem like they are just dumped there and neglected. As health professionals we then become a last hope to look after mental health patients and provide them with a sense of belonging which their families should be assisting to provide.
It thus becomes a sad state of affairs if it happens that our mental health facilities are not in a good state. It worries me, if issues of security in these facilities are not up to standard because they will put our clients at risk. As we push to integrate mental health services, we need to start by interrogating the Mental Health Act and checking if we are compliant with all the necessary prescripts thereof.
We can argue that the challenges we face within the mental health services are not only experienced within our country and province but internationally as well. However, we need to put our house in order first and make a difference where we live. The World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) continues to push its vision of a world in which mental health is a priority for all people. So we need to be part of this global reform of the mental health. We are aware of the scarcity of the resources but as we share the little resources at our disposal, let mental health services get a fair share.
We must embrace the noble initiatives of the World Federation for Mental Health. The federation continues to sponsor international conferences on mental health innovations and on mental health promotion and prevention. They conduct projects of specific topical or regional interest such as those on HIV/AIDS and depression, and diabetes and depression.
We acknowledge also the World Mental Health Day which is the brainchild of the Federation. Let us use World Mental Health Day to heighten awareness on mental health services in support of the efforts of the Federation and make our communities aware that mental health challenges can be managed and overcome.
More recently, World Federation for Mental Health has redoubled efforts to achieve its vision through an initiative led by Dr. John Copeland which we call the Great Push for Mental Health. The Federation has formed a strategic alliance with the Movement for Global Mental Health (MGMH). The Movement is best reflected in a series of articles in The Lancet.
Essentially, these articles make the case that mental illnesses constitute a significant proportion of the global burden of disease and that prioritisation and attention on mental health intervention will contribute significantly to both economic and social development. The “Lancet Global Mental Health 2007 Series” made a call to governments and donors for “Action on Mental Health” drawing attention to the impact of mental illness on the economies of countries and the wellbeing of its citizens many millions of whom go untreated. As few governments appear to have responded they need encouragement by direct action. We need that action now!
The bigger plan is to have mental illness and health seriously considered at the United Nations and governmental level. Because of the impact of mental health on our social and economic life, there is no reason why it cannot hold a place on the agenda of the United Nations. There is visible support at high level but we need "People Power" to galvanise broader support and that is why we need all stakeholders and individuals partake in the campaign.
To succeed, the Great Push for Mental campaign calls for Unity, Visibility, Rights and Recovery. Why, because there are perceptions of disunity in the mental health world which is probably exaggerated and need to be dispelled. Mental illness and the mentally ill are invisible but stigma is everywhere. So there is a need to continuously support mental health and be made visible.
Another issue of human rights is critical and needs attention and lastly there is a need to empower nurses and other health professionals to improve the detection, diagnosis and treatment of mental illness.
So, there are a lot of challenges in this area of health but there are always attempts to find solutions. There are millions of people who remain untreated because there are few skilled mental health workers worldwide. New cheap methods of computer assisted assessment, diagnosis and treatment for clinical use are now coming on stream to remedy this problem which have the potential to radically change this situation.
At local level we need to serious bring campaigns to our communities because it will assist us substantially if our people know mental health illnesses, signs and symptoms. This will go a long way in reducing late referral of cases. We should also use the campaigns to fight stigmatisation.
Let us use this Summit to prepare to take mental health services to our communities. In doing so, let us use the lessons learnt and make a difference. The new health dispensation calls for us to take health services to communities and for all our stakeholders to inform the manner in which services are rendered to the community. This is necessary because we can only succeed working together and that is why we say, “Working together we can do more”.
I thank you!
