Make mental health services affordable

Part of the Nation Media Group (NMG) Uganda’s efforts to create mental health awareness since last month has been running adverts and related stories across platforms.

We were proud of taking part in the campaign for mental health,  and highlighting issues during the Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, which ended last month.  However, the journey has just started.

Even though mental health is a growing concern, it remains one of the most underfunded and neglected areas in healthcare, particularly in Uganda. Last year, Dr Hafsa Lukwata, the acting assistant commissioner of Mental Health and Control of Substance Abuse at the Ministry of Health, revealed that mental health takes up less than one percent of the total budget allocated to her ministry.

Much as we are encouraging people to seek help, including going for therapy, most Ugandans are unable to afford such services because their incomes cannot allow them. A report by the Bank of Uganda in 2022 indicated that of the 22.8 million working Ugandans, only one percent earn more than Shs1 million, while 49.2 percent earn less than Shs150,000 per month. An earlier survey by the same institution revealed that at least 17.2 million (70 percent) Ugandans of the 24.6 million adult population, rely on family and friends, meagre personal savings, and borrowing as a coping mechanism to survive.

Yet, some therapy sessions in Kampala City range between Shs100,000 and Shs150,000 per hour. Medications for conditions such as depression and anxiety add to this burden with one pill costing Shs3,000. Imagine the total cost for a low-income earner who has a patient or is a patient who needs two prescriptions daily for treatment that may stretch for months, depending on the severity of the condition. These economic challenges and expenses make continuous mental health treatment unsustainable for Ugandans, forcing many to abandon mental health services and suffer in silence.

That is why we need to normalise conversations on investing in mental health services the way we are creating awareness, not just as a moral obligation but as a sound economic strategy.

We commend the US government, working with StongMinds, a local partner, for committing $1 million (about Shs3.7b) to improve this situation by training community members countrywide to be mental health providers.

Whereas awareness campaigns are vital in reducing stigma and encouraging more people to seek help, driving demand for more available, accessible and affordable services will go a long way in addressing mental health in Uganda. Let us not relent in normalising these conversations.

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