Somali Doctor’s Initiatiates a Programme to assist an escalated number of people with mental disorders after years of civil war in the country
A doctor in Somalia has started a campaign to address mental disorder in the country. The campaign dubbed chain free program is focused on helping the one out of three people suffering from mental illness in Somalia.
Somalia’s years of civil war exposing people to violence and trauma with lack of health services to cater to people left those with mental, physical and psychological challenges to confront significant social stigmas on their own according to research.
Doctor Ibdirahman Awale has taken it upon himself to assist thousands of victims suffering from mental disorder. Doctor Awale is now campaigning for other health practitioners to join his cause.
35 people including doctors, nurses and social workers from across the country have been trained in assisting the mentally ill. Human Rights Watch has a report on mental patients being abused and living in poor conditions in some institutions in Somaliland, the semi-autonomous region in northern Somalia.
Months into treatment some of doctor Awale’s patients have started showing signs of improvement at the rehabilitation center. With little funds the doctor has been able to treat more than 15,000 people since 2005 November.
People with mental disorder require love and support to overcome the disease according to the doctor.
