H.Abubakarr Jallou told a group of patients gathered in a room at Sierra Leone’s psychiatric teaching hospital in the capital, Freetown, that his family had accused him of being a demon. He says he was beaten and kicked out of the house by his brother when the black magic of a local witch doctor didn’t help.
Jallou, 27, has since been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and is not happy to be here. “They sent me here, but I hate staying here. I’m not crazy.”
Group counseling is now part of the oldest psychiatric facility treatment here in sub-Saharan Africa. dramatic change A few years away from that era the patient is chained.
The facilities are basic, with Jalou locked up with about 20 other men in a large room with bars on the windows, but Dr. Abdul Jarreau, the hospital’s former director, said the situation had changed. increase. “Until 2018, the hospital was like a prison.
Quick guide
common conditions
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The human toll from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is enormous and increasing. These diseases claim about 41 million of her 56 million deaths each year, three-quarters of whom live in developing countries.
NCD is simply that. For example, unlike viruses, they cannot be caught. Instead, they are caused by a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental and behavioral factors. The main types are cancer, chronic respiratory disease, diabetes and cardiovascular disease (heart attack and stroke). About 80% are preventable, all are on the rise, and unhealthy lifestyles fueled by an aging population and economic growth and urbanization have become a global phenomenon, inexorably. spread all over the world.
Once considered a disease of the rich, NCDs now affect the poor as well. Sickness, disability and death are perfectly designed to create and magnify inequalities. Poverty reduces the chances of getting an accurate diagnosis and treatment.
The investment in tackling these common, chronic diseases that kill 71% of us is incredibly small, but the cost to families, economies and communities is staggeringly high.
In low-income countries, some of the needed funds are invested or donated to NCDs, which are usually slow-growing and debilitating diseases. Despite all the attention given to the threat of infectious diseases, cancer still kills far more than malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.
“Common Conditions” is a Guardian series reporting on NCDs in developing countries. Stories of their prevalence, solutions, causes and consequences, and people living with these diseases.
Tracy McVeigh, Editor
A neighbor lived with screams coming from an imposing brick building on the hills east of Freetown. Kissy Lunatic Asylum, as we know it, was there to stop patients from harming themselves and others.
But in a country that has historically paid little attention to mental health, governments are trying to raise awareness and combat stigma. President Julius Maada‘human capital’ development agenda. education reform.
The hospital is operating at full capacity and 150 patients are being treated free of charge.
After the patient’s leash was removed, the facility was also connected to water and power. Today, we have holistic care that combines therapy and counseling with modern medications. Yoga classes are offered and there is a basketball court.
Chief Psychiatric Nurse Anneiruh Braimah began working at the hospital in 1998 and says patient behavior has improved dramatically since the reform.
“When people were chained up, they were very angry. They were throwing buckets of pee and poop at us. No. In fact, they have decreased.”
One of the biggest problems is substance abuse. Many teens in hospitals are users of tramadol, an opioid found in cough medicines. Others arrive in a psychotic state after inhaling the black residue of an exhaust pipe.
Ahmed Lahai, 21, was taken to hospital by relatives in October.
“My mother called all the local youths and tied me to the house. She thought I was smoking. [drugs]’ he says. “But when I broke down the door, they said I was crazy. Then they brought me here and gave me an injection to calm me down.
Lahai is in treatment for addiction. It is not known how long he will stay in the hospital, originally built by the British colonialists in 1820. “The only thing is food. It can be a more balanced diet than just beans and rice.”
This improvement is funded primarily by Partners, a US charity. health (PIH) helps with government operating expenses.
Charity donated $2.5 million (£2 million) towards the renovation. It now has a full-time psychologist and residency program and was established to train seven psychiatrists. Twice as many as 5 currently supported Sierra Leone has a population of 8.1 million.
The government is preparing to roll out basic mental health care to 16 district hospitals in Sierra Leone in the coming months. This should reduce the pressure on teaching hospitals.
Earlier this year, Dr. Carol Laver was named the first presidential adviser on mental health.
“Improving mental health in Sierra Leone is a big undertaking, but we can do it,” says Labor. “Our goal is for him to train 10,000 mental health workers in 10 years.”
A key issue is the revision of the 1902 Madness Ordinance. The ordinance is colonial-era law and does not say anything about patient rights. Dr. Labor says a “patient-centric bill” has been drafted that includes protections for patient welfare. That he should be passed in 2023 and restore dignity to those with mental health problems.
