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Mental Health in South Sudan

Mental Health in South Sudan. Ms. Nazik Elzuber Clinical Psychologist Juba Teaching Hospital . Outline of the presentation . Current Situation Immediate plans Medium term plans Long term plans Challenges Way forward Conclusion. Current Situation .

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Mental Health in South Sudan

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  1. Mental Health in South Sudan Ms. Nazik Elzuber Clinical Psychologist Juba Teaching Hospital

  2. Outline of the presentation • Current Situation • Immediate plans • Medium term plans • Long term plans • Challenges • Way forward • Conclusion

  3. Current Situation • Department of Mental Health currently created at MOH. • Department of Psychiatric at JTH (manned by clinical officer, clinical psychologist with a support from a consultant Psychiatrist who is teaching at Juba University). • The Department at JTH handles cases with limited diagnostic tools and management. • No facilities providing comprehensive Mental Health Services. • Many cases of Mental Disorders rooming at streets of major towns in South Sudan.

  4. Current Situation • Cases of Mental Health disorders wrongly kept at prisons (mainly in Juba, no data about other prisons in South Sudan) for protection due to lack of reformatory centres. • Many cases of post-traumatic disorders are believed to be on increased as a result of a prolonged war. • Few partners are involved on issues pertaining to Mental Health (UNICEF, HealthNet TPO, Handicap, UNIMISS) .

  5. Immediate plans • MOH & Partners to mobilize the needed support for quick interventions on Mental Health issues. • Quick intervention for management of the current cases rooming streets of major towns in South Sudan (identification of wards for admission, provision of the needed medications, etc). • Identification of wards/units for management of cases of Mental Health disorders at the current three Teaching Hospitals. • Relocation of the cases of Mental Health disorder currently kept in prisons into units/wards indentified at the Teaching Hospitals.

  6. Medium term plans • Development of Mental Health Strategy by the Department of Mental Health at MOH. • Training of nurses, clinical officers and other midlevel health professionals on basic Mental Health Interventions. • Integration of Mental Healthcare Services into state and county health facilities.

  7. Long term plans • Establishment of Psychiatric Hospitals (at least two for whole country). • Training of medical officers to become consultant Psychiatrists. • Introduction of specialised training on Mental Health for nurses, clinical officers and other healthcare professionals. • Integration of Mental Health Services at all levels of service delivery in the country.

  8. Challenges • Lack of trained human resource on Mental Health. • Lack of facilities for handling cases of Mental Health disorders. • Social misconception regarding Mental Health Disorders. • Lack or no funds allocation for Mental Health issues.

  9. Way forward • Mental Health must be given its due consideration at all levels (MOH, SMOH, County level). • Allocation of funds for development of Mental Health Services in the country is mandatory. • Donors’ support for the development of Mental Health Services is needed.

  10. Conclusion • In conclusion it is a high time that issues pertaining to Mental Health Services are taken seriously by the Ministry of Health and the relevant partners to change the current state of affair in the Country. • Collective efforts is badly needed by all the actors to develop a robust Mental Health Services for the Republic of South Sudan.

  11. Thanks

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