Monrovia 15 October - In view of the traumatic effects of the decade long civil war and the recent Ebola outbreak, mental health promotion is now more relevant to Liberia than ever before.

As part of its concerted efforts to build a Resilient Health System in Liberia, the Ministry of Health (MOH) in collaboration with WHO and other major international and national partners is focusing on advocacy and provision of adequate mental and psychosocial support services for persons affected by the epidemic and people with mental disorders in general. 

WHO and MOH efforts are in line with the theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day (WMHD) ;  ‘Dignity in Mental Health care’. Liberia marked the WMHD with events spread over a period of three days (8-10 October).Activities to mark the day included  talk shows on local radio stations, a press conference; sensitization of school children; indoor public awareness events preceded by a parade through Monrovia city involving over 100 school children from various schools. 

The Deputy Minister of Health and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Francis N. Kateh, during the press conference said that mental health should be prioritized since most Liberians have gone through traumatic events such as the civil war and the Ebola epidemic with little access to counseling or treatment. Dr. Kateh announced that the Ministry was in the process of integrating mental health services into the Primary Health Care (PHC) system, thus enabling health workers to diagnose and treat mental health patients within the existing health facilities.  

Speaking at the Mental Health Day public event in Monrovia on 10 October 2015,  the guest speaker Senator Peter Coleman noted that parliament would soon endorse the Mental Health Bill, which will strengthen mental health services in Liberia by allotting a dedicated budget for human resources, supplies and infrastructure. “It's time we give them their dignity and their rights,” he said adding that ‘mentally challenged people should be protected from stigmatization, discrimination and marginalization’. 

The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, in her statement on the World Mental Health Day, called upon African governments and partners to improve mental health by strengthening National programs, Policies and Legislative measures to protect the rights of persons with mental disorder.  

Other key partners during this year’s WMHD commemoration include Action Contre La Faim (ACF), The Carter Center, United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

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According to global estimates, about 10% of people in a population may suffer from common mental health disorders (mild-moderate depression, anxiety, alcohol and substance misuse) and 3% from severe mental illness (schizophrenia and bipolar depression). 

So, with a population of about four million, Liberia is estimated to have over 400,000 people with some form of mental disorders and about 130,000 may suffer from severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

Health experts estimate that the number in Liberia could be even higher considering the fact that the country went through a decade of bloody civil war and the recent devastating Ebola outbreak. 

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For more information contact:

Technical: 
Dr John Mahoney 
Email: johnomahoney [at] gmail.com ( johnomahoney[at]gmail[dot]com)

Communications: 
Luwaga Liliane
Email: lluwagal [at] who.int ( lluwagal[at]who[dot]int)