Nigerian Mental Health, a civil society organization, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Mental Health Bill that Olatunde Ojo, the clerk of the National Assembly, just handed to his office.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the group said that after two failed attempts since 2003, the National Assembly had finally approved the law.
“After failed attempts at change in 2003 and 2013, mental health regulation measures have been stalled in Nigeria’s legislative chambers for almost 20 years.
“In 2019, mental health legislation made further progress, and in 2020, public hearings were held after the Senate passed it for second reading.
“The bill’s harmonisation between the two parliamentary houses was completed in June 2021. Parts of the statement said, “Mental health professionals have been waiting for the bill to be finalized and sent to the President since last year.
BILL PRESENTATION
The Clerk, Mr. Ojo, acknowledged in a note that the bill is awaiting the President’s deliberation and approval “in accordance with the terms of the Acts Authentication Act Cap. A2, Federal Republic of Nigerian Laws, 2004.
The new legislation “would help replace the regional Lunacy Act of 1958, which practitioners decry as outmoded and harsh,” the CSO has nevertheless urged the President to sign it into law immediately.
ERRORS IN TRIES
Chime Asonye, the founder of Nigerian Mental Health, noted that the bill was reintroduced in 2019 after multiple failed attempts, and that this is the first time it has been approved by the National Assembly and sent to the President.
In response to a question about why the bill was unsuccessful, he said that “there have been various conversations about why it hasn’t been passed, but the major conclusions were that it wasn’t high on the political agenda and the roles and responsibilities of psychiatrists versus psychologists, etc.”
He also mentioned that money is a problem. “We don’t finance a health budget when you consider health in general. And only a little portion of the money goes to mental health, so it wasn’t even a health priority,” he said.
ADVANTAGES OF THE BILL
The establishment of human rights protections for people with mental health conditions, such as prohibiting discrimination in housing, employment, medical care, and other social services, is one of the provisions of the bill, according to the CSO, which also establishes a Department of Mental Health Services within the Federal Ministry of Health and a Mental Health Fund.
The bill is “an improvement over the former law,” it said, “since it ensures that persons getting treatment have the right to contribute to the creation of their treatment plans and cannot be subjected to forced therapy, seclusion, or other forms of confinement in mental health facilities.”
The statement said, “CSOs and associations working in mental health have gathered under the aegis of Nigerian Mental Health, a network of mental health stakeholders, thought leaders, and organizations, to urge the adoption of the Bill and help improve the country’s mental health field.”
The legislation, according to Taiwo Obindo, president of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria, “is a breakthrough as the country has never approved such a law since her Independence.”
Additionally, the Nigerian Mental Health coordinated an open letter to government officials urging the approval of the National Mental Health Bill, which was signed by more than 30 organizations dedicated to mental health.
The Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria, National Association of Clinical Psychologists, Association of Medical Social Workers of Nigeria, and Association of Psychiatric Nurses of Nigeria are some of the professional organizations in the area.
FINDINGS
Before the National Assembly enacted the measure, Mr. Asonye, the founder of Nigerian Mental Health, and other mental-health advocates wrote a letter to the President and the National Assembly in October outlining the consequences of not approving the bill.
It was highlighted that the COVID-19 epidemic brought about a problem affecting Nigerian minds in addition to a public health disaster.
In a statement warning of increasing psychological vulnerability, the Lancet Commission on Global Mental Health and Sustainable Development notes that “many people who previously coped well are now less able to cope because of the various stressors caused by the pandemic.”
According to a recent United Nations research, many people utilize addictive coping mechanisms like alcohol, drugs, nicotine, and online gaming.
According to the CSOs’ letter, Nigeria’s present mental health law, the Lunacy Act of 1958, is a British colonial remnant that predates the nation’s independence, making it insufficient to address these issues and escalating the epidemic.
Less than 10% of Nigerians who have a mental health illness over their lifetime have access to the care they require, according to data by the World Health Organization.
Nigeria should enact the National Mental Health Bill 2020 after more than 65 years of regulatory paralysis in the area. The CSOs stated that the delayed implementation implies that those who are experiencing psychological anguish would continue to be denied necessary and high-quality care.
