On Friday, July 3 2015, Gede’s Managing Director, Mr John Minto, met with the CEO of Alive and Kicking (www.aliveandkicking.org), Mr Glenn Cumnmings in London, UK. Alive and Kicking is one of the world’s leading social businesses, with innovative projects in Ghana, Kenya and Zambia which focus on manufacturing footballs which, in addition to providing employment for those who physically make the balls, are also used as a channel to develop important health messages. In essence, Alive and Kicking uses sport to combat the spread of deadly diseases. From the meeting, it is clear that a great deal of common ground exists between Alive and Kicking and Gede, most especially in terms of, (I) using sport to capture and disseminate key messages related to positive mental well being, and, (ii) raising incomes for those who would physically make the footballs. Watch this space for further information as this collaboration develops over time
Gede and Medicine Africa
JULY 2 2015
As regular readers of Gede's blogs will know, the Foundation is working with a number of agencies to assess ways in which the mental health 'treatment gap' (essentially the significant difference in the number of people with mental health conditions and the expertise available (often limited in number) to screen, treat and/or refer) can be addressed. At the time of writing, 'conventional wisdom' tends to adopt an approach which is based on expanding the availability of 'in country' expertise through, for example, task shifting/sharing within non specialist health workers. While both understandable and often realistic, this approach tends to ignore the role in which mental health expertise located within the Nigerian diaspora could potentially play. On Thursday July 2, Gede's Managing Director, Mr John Minto, met with the CEO and Founder of Medicine Africa (wwwmedicineafrica.com), Dr Alexander Finlayson, one of the world's leading NGOs focused on using information and communications technology to address a number of health related skills gap. Gede and Medicine Africa have agreed to work together to identify a number of initiatives which would test the idea that modern telecommunications can be used to address the mental health treatment gap within Nigeria through the additional engagement of the significant number of mental health professionals within the Nigerian diaspora, initially within the UK and EU.
GEDE and Basic Needs
Today in London, Gede’s Managing Director, Mr John Minto, met with the Acting CEO of Basic Needs (www.basicneeds.org), Ms Jess Mcquail, to discuss ways in which their innovative model of mental health care and livelihoods support, could be brought into Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria for the benefit of people living with both mental health conditions and HIV-AIDS. As readers of Gede’s blogs will know, the Foundation is taking a leading role in assessing the prevalence and impact of mental health conditions (such as depression and alcohol abuse) within large samples of people living with HIV-AIDS – and the discussions with Basic Needs take this discussion to the ‘next level’ in terms of developing a community based way in which such conditions (and their impact on livelihood coping mechanisms) can be screened, treated and referred. Basic Needs is a leading global agency whose approach to community based mental health care and support is much favoured by international donors such as Canada Grand Challenges, as well as by the communities and NGOs which they support. Watch this space for further information as Gede’s partnership with Basic Needs develops over time.
Mental Health and Adolescents
It’s no longer news that young people within rural and urban communities are vulnerable to drugs, substance and alcohol abuse. This may be as a result of many factors such as orphan hood, peer pressure, poor parenting, the ease in accessing these substances and idleness. It is of course, very worrisome that people within this population also engage in intravenous drug use - an act which can, in some cases, lead to HIV. An increasing number of academic studies have shown that many mental health problems (depression in particular) emerge in late childhood and early adolescence and is the largest cause of the burden of disease among young people-DALYs). Equally shocking is the fact that suicide is the number one killer among teenagers worldwide and that poor mental health can impact greatly on the wider health and development of adolescents and has a key role in health ‘outcomes’ such as higher alcohol, tobacco and illicit substances use, adolescent pregnancy, school drop-out and delinquent behaviours. There is growing consensus that healthy development during childhood and adolescence contributes to good mental health and can eventually prevent mental health problems.
Gede is working as a pioneer agency in Ibadan, opening up important dialogues with partner agencies and young people themselves in terms of recognising the important of positive mental health .Watch this space for further news of our ground breaking work in Ibadan.
MENTAL HEALTH DIALOGUE PROGRAMME EXPLORES SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND ADDICTION
On Wednesday June 24th 2015, as part of Gede’s ‘Mental Health Dialogue Programme’, Solape Bamijoko, a Senior Programme Officer with Gede Foundation delivered an insightful presentation on ‘Substance Abuse versus Addiction”
The presentation resulted in a lively exchange of views among those present and focused on an exploration of the causes of substance abuse in an increasingly urbanised Nigeria. Many of the participants reflected on ways in which substance abuse can be tackled at the most appropriate point, including in the home and at school, with a general agreement that although government has a role to play, positive parenting is perhaps the key to a number of pivotal issues. Above all else, however, there were calls to ensure that key stakeholders and personnel are actually able to identify the tell tale signs of abuse and addiction. For further details about Gede’s ‘Mental Health Dialogue Programme’ and to obtain the list of speakers for July 2015 – December 2015, please email Solape Bamijoko (obamijoko@gedefoundation.org)
GEDE FOUNDATION AND KING'S COLLEGE LONDON
TUESDAY JUNE 30 2015
Today, Gede's Managing Director, Mr John Minto, held a meeting with King's College Researcher, Dr Rosie Mayston which focused on discussing ways in which both organisations might work together in future to deepen the work the Foundation currently undertaking vis-a-vis assessing the prevalence of depression, alcohol use and suicidality among a large sample of people living with HIV-AIDS in Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria. Discussions focused, in particular, on ways in which a natural 'next step' could include an assessment of the impact of (for example) depression coupled with a practical and scaleable way in which screening, treatment and referral can be integrated into the busy working lives of health care workers such as HIV-AIDS Adherence Counsellors. Watch this space as Gede and King's continue this dialogue aimed at blunting the significant impact of common mental disorders on people living with HIV-AIDS in Nigeria and, in time, further afield
GEDE FOUNDATION MEETING WITH MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR AFRICA
Monday June 29
Today, Gede's Managing Director, Mr John Minto, met with the CEO and Founder of Management Strategies for Africa (MSA), Mr Marc Okunnu. MSA is a leading UK based and diaspora led civil society organisation which supports capacity building health programmes in both Ghana and Nigeria. With deep ties to the professional Nigerian diaspora in Europe, MSA is well placed to work with Gede in order to address the mental health 'treatment gap' through the appropriate engagement of expertise within the UK initially. Working with other partners such as Medicine Africa, Gede and MSA are developing ways in which to link facility based Drs in Nigeria to diaspora experts through the use of an existing online training platform. Watch this space for further information.
HAVING THE TIME OF MY LIFE-Shirley, Interviewer of the Prevalence Study
I may never be able to fully explain how it feels to be a part of this project. Having majored in psychology both at an undergraduate and postgraduate level, it is easy to tell how desperately Nigeria as a nation needs to better appreciate the profession and incorporate mental health needs in medical care, especially in the treatment of special populations like those living with HIV/AIDS.
I consider this project the beginning of greater things to come and the stepping stone for improved care not only for those living with HIV but the general population. Thumbs up to Gede Foundation for making this possible. I will be back with more update on my experiences on the study as we continue with data collection.
HIV Infection and Depression- PLWHAs’ Comments
Gede’s HIV- prevention project in Oyo State (Sponsored by the World Bank) is reaching out to 3000 adults in 2 LGAs with activities designed to mitigate the impacts of the HIV infection in the State.
The one-year grant will contribute to the reduction in the incidence of HIV infection among adults in rural communities using the minimum prevention package intervention (MPPI) strategy with focus on Peer Group Sessions and Focus Group Discussions.
An important meeting was recently held in Oluyoro HIV treatment centre, with a group of PLWHA accessing ART services. Everyone in the group agreed that depression and HIV infection are inter-linked and that people living with HIV are more likely to require superior psychosocial support against the ‘regular’ counselling sessions.
This revelation from the group is significant and will add depth to Gede’s current prevalence study of depression, alcohol use and suicidality among 1200 people living with HIV-AIDS in the FCT. Stay on this page for more update on the survey
Gede’s Programme Support Officer – A Personal Journey
Throughout my 9 years’ experience in Gede’s laboratory (working as a Laboratory Assistant), I came across many cases of people with the double burden of HIV and mental health disorders. Those were years that I was so stranded due to inadequate knowledge in mental health and was unable to help people with their predicament! How I wish those years were these few months that I have been opportune to work in a mental health programme.
Some people were disheartened thinking what the future holds for them in the areas of life partners, how to cope with the drugs (antiretroviral drugs)-every day of their lives, how to disclose their status to their spouses or friends, how to cope with day-to-day challenges and lots more. Clearly, some were depressed, anxious and so on – and these were mental health issues which then I didn’t know and thought it was just a feeling that would soon pass away.
Gede’s evolving focus on mental health is something good that has happened to people living with HIV (PLHIV) as their mental health issues can better be addressed. I hope that you will keep in touch with our work through these blogs and that you learn as much as I have about mental health as our journey continues…John Adokolo