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Peter Matika, [email protected]

INGUTSHENI Central Hospital in Bulawayo is today joining the rest of the world in commemorating World Mental Health Day.

The objective of the celebrations is to raise awareness about mental health issues around the world and to mobilise efforts to support mental health related issues.

The day provides an opportunity for stakeholders across the globe working on mental health issues to express and talk about their work and what is required to enlighten people across the world about mental health.

World Mental Health Day is celebrated every year on October 10.

The commemorations are part of initiatives to raise awareness and drive actions that promote and protect everyone’s mental health as a universal human right.

The commemorations are usually held under the theme ‘Mental health is a universal human right”.

A sub theme is usually encompassed to enlighten a particular topic during the commemorations.

Ingutsheni Central Hospital chief executive officer Dr Nemache Mawere, said the institution joins the rest of the world today in recognising mental health patients, in an effort to do away with stigma.

“We are commemorating World Mental Health day tomorrow (today) and we invite people from across the world to recognise this day. This day is meant to create awareness about mental health. Mental health is a basic human right for all people. Everyone, whoever and wherever they are, has a right to the highest attainable standard of mental health. This includes the right to be protected from mental health risks, the right to available, accessible, acceptable, and good quality care, and the right to liberty, independence and inclusion in the community,” said Dr Mawere.

He said good mental health is vital to overall health and well-being.

Dr Mawere said at least one in eight people globally are living with mental health conditions, which can impact their physical health, well-being, how they connect with others, and livelihoods.

“Mental health conditions are also affecting an increasing number of adolescents and young people,” he said.

Dr Mawere said a march will be held from the CBD to the institution, where a number of issues will be discussed.

“There will be a lot of activity and we hope to reach out to the citizens and the world through these commemorations, “ said Dr Mawere.

In a recent interview Sipho “NaZoe” Mazibuko, a mental health activist and patient who has boldly embraced depression and bipolar disorder as part of her life said having a mental health condition should never be a reason to deprive a person of their human rights or to exclude them from decisions about their own health.

“All over the world, people with mental health conditions continue to experience a wide range of human rights violations. Many are excluded from community life and discriminated against. There is a lot of stigma associated with mental health challenges. People accuse those suffering from such conditions of Satanism or being bewitched by family members. This is not true but a natural human condition. Many patients cannot access the mental health care they need because of violations,” said Mazibuko.

She said it was high time organisations across the world united to ensure mental health is valued, promoted, and protected.

“Urgent needs to be taken so that everyone can exercise their human rights and access the quality mental health care they need.”