Integrating psychiatric basic care at Ruaraka Uhai Neema Hospital:
an evidence-based approach
More than 50% of patients have a psychiatric disorder
Mental disorders are estimated to account for 12% of the global burden of disease, but only a minority of persons affected receive basic treatment. It is sufficient to say that, in some developing countries, debilitating traumatic depression affects more people than HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined. Clinical trials demonstrate that locally available, affordable interventions in community and primary care settings are effective for the management of mental disorders and that with a good therapy mostly of these people can return to productive lifes. To address this problem, WHO advocates integrating mental health in primary care; however the limited evidence-based datas have prevented efforts to develop such services.
Filling this gap was the aim of a collaboration research project between the
University of Turin (Italy), the
Africa Mental Health Foundation (AMHF),
World Friends Onlus (an italian NGO) and
Ruaraka Uhai Neema Hospital (an integrated health centre realized and supported by World Friends, located in Nairobi North District, that works mostly with patients from slums): to assess the prevalence of the most common psychiatric disorders present on the field in order to plan the training of the local staff on how to recognize and treat these diseases. This project is a part of a more comprehensive survey that AMHF is carrying out in slum areas: “Baseline Study on the situation and governance of Mental Health and Services in Kenya”.
We found that 57% of the outpatients of Neema hospital currently suffer of a psychiatric disorder, mainly Major Depressive Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Pain Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Prof. David Ndetei (director of AMHF and Professor of Psychiatry at Nairobi University) and
Jean-louis Aillon (the Italian doctor, intern in the research, in the picture) will present and discuss the results of the study on:
OCTOBER 14TH FROM 8,30 TO 10,30 AT RUARAKA UHAI NEEMA HOSPITAL
(Off Thika Road, Opposite Safari Park Hotel P.O. Box 65122-00618 Ruaraka Nairobi)
The evidence-based growth of the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of treatments for these disorders raises the possibility of delivering huge health and economic benefits to the entire society. Our experience could be the first step for the development of an integrate care system for treating mental ilness in Kenya.
The new constitution gives to Kenian people the right to health, nonetheless there will never be real health without mental health!
Prof. David M. Ndetei, Professor of Psychiatry University of Nairobi and Director of Africa Mental Health Foundation (AMHF)
Doct. Jean-louis Aillon, intern in the research project (University of Turin and European Social fund). Jean.84@libero.it / 0735525429