🔅 The Tragedy That Sparked a Mental Health Revolution
South Africa: Pushing Ahead with its National Health Insurance
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The Tragedy That Sparked a Mental Health Revolution in Africa
Imagine losing contact with your little brother, an army officer in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, only to find out two years later that he's been locked up in a jail in the north of the country. This nightmare became a reality for Dr. Jean Kaseya, director general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
When Kaseya finally managed to bring his brother, Dieudonné, back to the capital, it was clear that he needed a hospital, not a jail cell. Untreated mental health problems had snowballed, and Dieudonné had also developed physical issues like diabetes and kidney disease. Sadly, despite Kaseya's efforts, his brother passed away two months later at the age of 45, leaving behind three children.
This tragedy had a profound impact on Kaseya. He became determined to make mental health care a priority for Africans, so that others wouldn't have to go through the same heartbreaking experience.
"This motivation is not anger. It's mostly I don't want others to go through the same experience – how we can stop it, and how we can start to screen people before they get [to the same level as] my brother."
The World Health Organization estimates that there are at least 116 million people in African countries with mental health conditions. But with only 1.4 mental health workers for every 100,000 people, services are scarce.
Kaseya remembers how expensive it was to deal with his brother's problems. "We were paying around $500 per week to take care of him – for medication, for any kind of support – because he was admitted to a specialist centre. And I was asking myself what are others doing? If you don't have money, what can you do?"
The Africa CDC's Plan of Action
Under Kaseya's leadership, the Africa CDC is pushing to integrate mental health care into community health programmes across the continent. In May, they launched a Mental Health Leadership Programme to train health professionals at various levels in how to prioritise mental health. They're also including psychiatric drugs in their list of basic medicines for primary healthcare programmes.
But Kaseya knows that tackling mental health issues isn't just about medication and training. It's also about changing attitudes and addressing the root causes of poor mental health, like war, drug use, and living conditions.
While the road ahead is long, Kaseya's personal tragedy has sparked a mental health revolution in Africa. With the Africa CDC's initiatives and Kaseya's unwavering commitment, there's hope that fewer families will have to endure the pain of losing a loved one to untreated mental health issues.
More on this in The Guardian.
South Africa Pushes Ahead with Controversial National Health Insurance Bill
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South Africa—a nation where healthcare is a luxury reserved for those who can afford it. But fear not, dear citizens, for President Cyril Ramaphosa has a plan to level the playing field: the National Health Insurance (NHI) bill.
Despite fierce opposition from within and outside the government, Ramaphosa is determined to make the NHI a reality. He signed the bill right before the May election, in which his African National Congress lost its parliamentary majority.
So, what exactly is the NHI, and why is it causing such a stir?
Well, it aims to provide universal coverage by overhauling South Africa's two-tier healthcare system. The legislation will gradually limit the role of private insurance, create a new public fund to provide free access for citizens, and set the fees and prices that private healthcare suppliers can charge for NHI-funded benefits.
Supporters hail the NHI as a generational change that will reverse inequality dating back to the apartheid era. However, opponents, including big local health insurers, argue that the proposed funding model is a recipe for disaster.
Indeed, not everyone is on board with the NHI. The pro-business Democratic Alliance (DA) party, which formerly led the opposition and has now joined the ANC in government, sees the bill as a sticking point in the coalition government.
Despite the challenges ahead, the minister of health says that the bill will be implemented in phases over years and that legal challenges could delay its roll-out.
Food for Thought
“Many beads form one necklace.”
— Gabon Proverb