Ministry seeks Shs1b for mental health survey

Dr Hafsa Lukwata, the assistant commissioner for mental health, alcohol, and substance abuse at the Health Ministry, has asked the parliamentary health committee to lobby for an immediate release of Shs1b that would enable her department to undertake a national survey on the mental health status of Ugandans.

“We need over Shs100b to do our work but for the start, we request you to avail us with Shs1b such that we can undertake a study on the prevalence of mental illness among different categories of Ugandans,” Dr Hafsa said, adding: “If we had concrete statistics on the state of mental health of different groups of people in Uganda, we would prevent some of the gruesome murders we are currently witnessing.”

Speaking at a stakeholders meeting organized by Strong Minds Uganda in Kampala on Friday, Dr Hafsa said part of the funds would be spent on a national mental health awareness campaign that will not only help Ugandans understand the signs and symptoms of mental illnesses but also know where to access timely medical care.

The commissioner’s appeal comes barely four days after Labour State Minister, Col (rtd) Charles Okello Engola was shot dead by his bodyguard who was allegedly depressed due to economic challenges.

Engola who doubled as Oyam North County Member of Parliament, was shot Tuesday morning by his bodyguard, Pte Wilson Sabiiti at his home in Kyanja, a Kampala suburb.

Responding to Dr Hafsa’s request, Jinja West Member of Parliament, Dr Timothy Batuwa said they would move a motion in Parliament over the same so that the release of Shs1b is manifested as a parliamentary decision.

“No one is safe. We must support the ministry so that it can under this study. We must screen all bodyguards among other people because no one is safe,” Dr Batuwa said.

Ms Charlotte Oloya, Head of Communications, Partnerships and Advocacy at Strong Minds Uganda said the distresses caused by Covid-19 and associated lockdowns exacerbated the mental illness situation in Uganda.  

According to the National Institute for Health Research, about 35 per cent of Ugandans suffer from a mental disorder and 15 per cent of them require treatment.

There has been a 15 per cent rise in the cases of mental health conditions in the country following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, statistics from the Ministry of Health indicate.

The Ministry of Health also estimates that at least 14 million people in Uganda have mental disorders.