Mental health crisis grips Nkhotakota district, authorities say
The radio campaign aims to reduce stigma and empower communities to better address mental health issues in Nkhotakota.
NKHOTAKOTA, Malawi — Authorities in Nkhotakota have acknowledged the pressing mental health crisis that has long haunted the district, writes Fletcher Chiponda.
"The main challenges that we are facing as a nation on the issues to do with mental health are a lack of medication, resources on a referral system, and a lack of coordination among stakeholders," said Nkhotakota District Hospital Mental Health Coordinator Peter Muthethe during a stakeholders meeting hosted by Umunthu Radio Station to discuss the status of mental health in the district.
Muthethe said the rising number of cases is due to a lack of mental health specialists in both public and private hospitals.
"You can imagine that since the inception of Nkhotakokota District Hospital, the mental health department has just been allocated a space to execute its duties; this simply shows how weak our health system is in addressing issues to do with mental health," he said.
However, Nkhotakota Police Victim Support Unit coordinator Dorothy Chingaipe attributed the rise to a lack of parental care and rampant drug and substance abuse.
"Parents have to know their responsibility; abandoning children at a very tender age is one factor contributing to the cases of mental health," she said.
The authorities have proposed conducting a baseline survey in the district to establish accurate figures of people facing mental health challenges to facilitate intervention.
Umunthu Radio Station is running a six-month campaign on mental health matters with funding from the Tilitonse Foundation, UKAID and Comic Relief under the Shift the Power program.
Residents at the meeting expressed concern over the lack of resources and support for those suffering from mental health issues in the district.
"My brother has schizophrenia and it is very hard for my family to care for him without any help," said Maria Banda, 38.
"Sometimes he becomes violent, and we do not know what to do. There needs to be more help for families like mine."
Others called on authorities to make mental healthcare a higher priority and increase funding.
"For too long, mental health has been neglected in Malawi. But the crisis here in Nkhotakota shows it can no longer be ignored," said Charles Mhango, head of the Nkhotakota Civic Education Forum.
"We urge the government and partners to take these concerns seriously and invest more in medication, facilities, and training so people get the support they need before their conditions worsen."
Muthethe acknowledged the challenges are immense with limited resources, but vowed the authorities would do more.
"This meeting was an important first step to assess the situation. In the coming months, we will work on solutions like the proposed survey to map the scale of the problem," he said.
"With support from all stakeholders, we can work to improve lives."
The radio campaign aims to reduce stigma and empower communities to better address mental health issues in Nkhotakota.