By Sheminah Nkhoma
As one way of dealing with mental health issues, the Resilience Rising Foundation (RRF) is set for its launch next month to provide services about mental health in Malawi.
In an interview with Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Monday RRF Chief Executive Officer, who is a professional nurse based in the United Kingdom, Madalitso Chazima, said the Foundation aims to support services for people affected by mental health challenges and partner with stakeholders to improve access to mental health care.
She said due to rising cases of mental health in Malawi, especially among the youth in universities and secondary schools, the foundation will give public awareness and provide community based services.
“As a registered nurse and having been in the field of mental health for over 14 years, I once witnessed a victim of mental health committing suicide. So, with this foundation, I took it upon myself that I should give back to the community and assist them in addressing these issues,” she said.
Through the Foundation, Chazima expects to see mental health issues receiving full attention and handled with seriousness by every person in the society.
The Foundation has established a fund that will be used to provide assistance to victims of mental health challenges.
Chazima, therefore, called upon all stakeholders including the Ministry of Health and security agencies among others to ensure that mental health issues are addressed to their fullest effect.
“We believe that collaboration is key to addressing this common issue. With these initiatives, we strongly believe that we are going to impact lives and enhance social change,” she explained.
A statement recently released by the Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) shows that recent data from the Ministry of Health indicate that over 30 percent of Malawians experience mental health challenges.
The statement stated that in districts affected by floods and droughts, psychosocial support is often absent from humanitarian response frameworks, leaving survivors to navigate grief and anxiety in isolation.
The Malawi Parliament passed a bill on mental health which shifted the focus from medical based approach to human rights approach prioritising dignity and well being of individuals with mental health conditions.
