By Teryima Andrew
World Health Organization (WHO) has said about 322 million people worldwide are depressed due to poverty and substance abuse, leading to mental health.
“About 322 million people around the world are affected by depression.”
Plateau state coordinator of World Health Organization (WHO) Pharmacist Wadzingi Williams Bassi, made the disclosure on Monday, during a press conference to mark 2017 world health day in Plateau state.
Bassi said there was as increasing cases of depression worldwide leading to high number of mental health, particularly among youth between the ages of 15 to 30 years.
“WHO defines depression as an illness characterized by persistent sadness, loss of interest and ability to perform daily activities for a period of time.”
According to WHO representative, one of the leading causes of depression was economic hardship, unemployment, physical illness, alcohol abuse, drug abuse and loneness, which he said most Nigerians are suffering from.
The representative of WHO also noted with concern that 322 million people globally are suffering from mental health due to increasing depression.
He said out of the 322 million people suffering depression, 30 million people are from Africans.
“About 322 million people around the world are affected by depression. It is a leading cause of disability worldwide, and a major contributor to the overall global burden of diseases.”
On his part, Plateau state commissioner of health, Dr. Kuden Kamshak, while speaking on outbreak of meningitis in Nigeria, informed that all northern governors will on Tuesday meet with the sultan of Sokoto Sa’ad Abubakar to proffer solution to the outbreak of meningitis which has badly affected northern states.
“All the 19 northern governors and states commissioners of health will tomorrow (Tuesday) have a meeting with the Sultan of Sokoto in Kaduna to deliberate on ways to end meningitis.”
Statistic checks from the national disease control has shown that the recent outbreak of meningitis in Nigeria has claimed over 3000 lives from 8 states.
Dr Kamshak also informed that there was 3 suspected cases of meningitis in Plateau state, he however said the infected persons have been isolated for treatment.
But he noted that there was shortage of vaccine for meningitis across Nigeria.
“Currently, there is only 500 million vaccines for meningitis worldwide, which is grossly inadequate, we need more than that number as a country, the Minister of health has apply for the importation of the vaccines, but we are yet to receive.”
Representative of Nigeria Medical Association NMA, WHO, Laboratory scientists, Chief Medical Directors (CMD’s) Nurses, Commissioner of environment, and other stakeholders in the health sector attended the media briefing held the ministry of health in Jos.
