Dr. Naeem Dalal, the Advisor for AfricaCDC on Non-communicable Diseases, Injuries, and Mental Health, has emphasized the need to dispel cultural misconceptions that discourage African men from getting emotional and mental wellness support.
On the fringes of a parallel session on youth mental health in Africa at the International Conference on Public Health in Africa on Tuesday, Dalal had an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lusaka, Zambia.
The Africa Centres for Diseases Control and Prevention organize the annual CPHIA, which will be hosted by the Government of Zambia in 2023.
Dalal says that it is imperative to dispel cultural preconceptions because data indicates that a greater number of men commit suicide in Africa.
Dalal is a psychiatrist from Lusaka, Zambia. He specializes in youth mental health and is presently the National Mental Health focal point and specialist for the Zambia National Public Health Institute.
“There is a higher rate of active suicide among men,” he stated.
When someone commits suicide actively, they die by suicide.
“When you have suicidal ideas but choose not to act on them, it is known as passive suicide. That is therefore passive suicide.
“More men commit suicide in Africa now, according to data that is particular to the male population of the continent.
Hence, men commit suicide at a higher rate than women. Men account for 50% of the deaths, which is understandable given that men use more lethal means of passing away.
Dalal outlined a few factors that lead males to consider suicide rather than getting assistance.
It’s also critical to realize that, because to the supportive culture prevalent in Africa, males are unlikely to seek assistance for problems pertaining to their mental health.
“In communities, men are expected to be the responsible breadwinners. Being vulnerable in that way is not something that our communities on the African continent as a whole accept.
“There are two things we need to be aware of while discussing suicide. Suicide comes in two flavors: passive and active.
Therefore, even in cases where mental health services are available, males find it difficult to use them because of this.
“These are the difficulties we are dealing with,” he said to NAN.
Dalal put forth a few suggestions meant to lower the suicide rate on the continent.
Nonetheless, the non-communicable illnesses, injuries, and mental health strategies are the present focus of the Africa CDC’s solutions and implementations.
“They have flagship programs that examine men’s health as well as community mental health advocacy.
Nevertheless, there are also upcoming fellowships in mental health that will enable healthcare professionals to pursue mental health as a career.
This is due to the fact that healthcare professionals in Africa are reluctant to specialize on mental health.
The implementations that we are working on are these.
Since the age range of 15 to 29 accounts for the third highest rate of suicide deaths, we are also encouraging increased advocacy among the younger generation.
Dalal claims that there is still a lot of advocacy being done, particularly by the Africa CDC via the African Union.
“We are also in favor of changing policies so that mental health is relevant to the times we live in,” he stated.
He applauded Nigeria for having recently passed a mental health law.
“Breaking Barriers: Repositioning Africa in the Global Health Architecture” is the subject of the CPHIA2023.
