On Tuesday 12th May, the Gede Foundation team of Project Director, Supervisor and Interviewers paid a visit to the Site Coordinator at the Garki Hospital IHVN managed Treatment and Care Centre. The purpose of the visit was to get familiar with the Site Coordinator who would play the key role of recruitment of respondents in the Prevalence Study Project (PSP). The familiarization continues tomorrow with visits to the other 2 sites on the project. Watch this space. For further inquiries about the PSP contact Dr Cynthia Ticao on cjticao@gedefoundation.org
INTERNATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH CONGRESS, LILLE, FRANCE – DAY 3
30-04-15
The final day of the International Mental Health Congress in Lille, France finished with excellent sessions on a wide range of subjects including innovative ways to treat depression and the deep concerns mental health experts have over the rising tide of dementia across all countries. Gede’s Managing Director and Performance Director: Research and Advocacy gained a great deal from the Conference, not only in terms of the highly technical knowledge gained across a range of subjects, but also in terms of networking and the possibility of presenting Gede's major Prevalence Study paper at the next International Mental Health Congress. Most particularly, it is clear that a number of international organisations are extremely interested in working with Gede to deepen their research into specific HIV-AIDS and mental health issues in Nigeria.
INTERNATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH CONGRESS, LILLE, FRANCE – DAY 2
29-04-15
Today, Gede made a poster presentation to participants attending the inaugural International Mental Health Congress in Lille, France. The presentation focused on the research undertaken by Gede in 2014 which gathered important data related to the levels of mental health knowledge and stigma among HIV-AIDS Adherence Counsellors. The research was undertaken with the support of Gede’s partners, the Network of People Living With HIV-AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN) and resulted in a very lively Q&A session at the Congress. Gede also took part in well attended Congress sessions, many of which (on Day 2) focused on an issue close to the Foundation’s heart – how to ensure that primary health care services include mental health screening and treatment/referral. Final day tomorrow!
Promoting Mental Health through HIV-AIDS Peer Educators’ Sessions
Female cohorts in Odo-Ona community in Ibadan South West LGA, Oyo State who participated in peer educators’ sessions were informed on ways to promote HIV prevention, care and support by trained peer educators. The session also touched on the links between HIV-AIDS and mental health, such that the group acknowledged that common mental disorders, causes and treatment pathways appeared different from what they previously perceived.This was followed by interesting Q & A sessions apparently to clarify the myths and misconceptions surrounding mental illnesses as it relates to stigma and discrimination within the rural communities.
At the end, the groups saw reasons why treatment of mental illnesses should be included as part of routine general medical care in health facilities. This project is sponsored by World Bank-HAF-2 grants in partnership with OYOSACA and FOMWAN with the aim to reach 3000 adults in 2 LGAs by the end of 2015.
Gede at the International Mental Health Congress, Lille, France
28-04-2015
Today, Gede attended the first day of the 2015 International Mental Health Congress which, this year, is focused on, ‘Mental Health for all: Connecting People and Sharing Experience.’ The Foundation’s Managing Director and Performance Director: Research and Advocacy contributed to highly proactive and well attended sessions on a range of subjects including, Change drivers for mental health systems; Developing primary health mental health care; Co-morbidity and common mental disorders; Stigma and discrimination within HIV-AIDS networks. There has already been significant interest in Gede’s work, with two international research institutions reaching out to the Foundation regarding the possibility of collaborative work in due course. Gede will also consider making a full presentation of its 2015 Prevalence Survey of common mental disorders in a sample of over 1000 people living with HIV-AIDS in Abuja, at the 2016 Congress. Day two tomorrow and Gede’s presentation to the Congress about the 2014 study on levels of mental health knowledge and stigma among a sample of HIV-AIDS Adherence Counsellors. Watch this space for an update tomorrow!
End of 5-day training for Interviewers
Today, Interviewers recruited for Gede’s large Prevalence Survey continued their training with sessions focusing on the use of the CIDI questionnaire. Members from the Network of People Living With HIV-AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN) played important roles as ‘test respondents’ and helped to fine tune the approach which will be used during data collection. With training now almost finished, the Interviewers will make further preparations until early May when data collection will begin in earnest. Watch this space!
Big Day at Gede....
Today, Interviewers engaged for Gede and IHVN’s large study into the prevalence of common mental disorders (depression, substance abuse and suicidality) spent the day being trained on the specifics related to the questionnaire they will use for data collection. The practice sessions engaged Gede partners from the Network of People Living With HIV-AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN) and was extremely useful in ‘testing’ the Interviewers under relatively realistic ‘field conditions’ before data collection starts in earnest in May. Tomorrow marks the final day of training and will continue with practise sessions using the WHO CIDI Questionnaire. Next, data collection!
During the morning, Gede also hosted a meeting of Site Coordinators who will play a key role in ensuring a regular supply of respondents for the Interviewers to engage with. The Coordinators were extremely helpful in identifying ways in which such a large survey can successfully engage respondents and several strategies were considered in this regard.
Gede also hosted another session of its popular series, ‘Mental Health Dialogue Programme’ which featured a presentation by Mrs M Udoh on, ‘Human Rights, Peace, Education and Mental Health’ which focused on the most recent advances in ‘rights’ as related to global mental health. The highly interactive Q&A session focused on the need to hold all Governments to account once conventions have been signed. This work should also, it was agreed, include supporting Government initiatives where appropriate.
During the course of the afternoon, Gede also hosted and Chaired a meeting of the CSO Coalition in Mental Health which discussed the 2015 work plan and budget coupled with a number of issues surrounding both formal registration and reaching out to a range of other mental health activists in due course. The Coalition is looking to become formally registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission within the next 1-2 months.
Gede's response to ECOSOC's call
Yesterday, as an NGO with a Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, Gede submitted a written statement in response to ECOSOC’s call for NGO reflections on the theme – “Managing the transition from Millennium Development Goals to the sustainable development goals: what will it take?” Gede’s submission focused on two themes – (i) the need for SDGs to ensure that the cross-cutting nature of all social problems is fully acknowledged (in turn, avoiding the silo-thinking and funding which has tended to dominate the MDGs), and, (ii) the need for all development agencies to identify genuine core competencies as rigorously defined by analysts such as Hamel and Prahalad, rather than (as more often than not) as more lazily defined by NGOs themselves. The submission will be published on Gede’s website following the ECOSOC deadline of April 24 2015
Training of Interviewers- Day 3
Today, the Interviewers selected to undertake Gede’s large prevalence survey of common mental disorders in a sample of 1200 people living with HIV-AIDS were trained in the data collection tool as related to both alcohol use and suicidality. The training session also included working with Site Coordinators who will play a key role in ensuring that respondents are called at regular intervals to ensure that the target of 1200 is reached by the project. Day Four tomorrow!
Preliminary activities for the Prevalence Study
Day II training of Interviewers,,,,,
Tuesday April 21 2015
Today, interviewers for Gede’s prevalence survey (of common mental disorders in a sample of 1200 people living with HIV-AIDS in Abuja) were put through their paces in terms of training on ways in which the data collection tool addresses depression. In addition to being trained on screening techniques and the questions posed, Interviewers also went through a number of practice sessions related to using the CIDI tool ‘in situ’ when the collection of data starts in earnest in May. The training continues throughout this week