Knowledge Sharing Sessions at Gede

As a learning organization, we believe that knowledge has no value unless you share and use it.  On two recent occasions, October 5th and 26th, knowledge sharing sessions were conducted at Gede Foundation.  The first one was on Organisational Development delivered by Jeremy Boglosa (PD: OD/SS).  Jeremy shared the basic knowledge and practical examples she has gained from her week-long course in June from INTRAC in Oxford, UK.  The second session was a step-down meeting from the week-long summer course that was attended by Godwin Etim (PD: RM/PM) and Jeremy Boglosa (PD: OD/SS) on Global Mental Health Action and Research at the King’s College London.  Both sessions were attended by the whole Gede team. 

Building staff capacity is a priority for Gede Foundation, especially that Mental Health is a relatively new concept for most of its team members.  To ensure that the knowledge and skills are passed on to the rest of the team, the attendee is required to conduct a step-down session or step down sessions if one session is not enough; and at the same time apply the knowledge he/she has gained and involve other team members in the practical application of the concept/knowledge. 

We look forward to the time when we will  share our lessons to other organizations.  

M&E Workshop for Gede’s SMT

To further strengthen its mandate to mainstream organizational learning, particularly through its M&E system, Gede Foundation’s Senior Management Team (SMT) attended a Workshop on M&E Fundamentals.  The workshop was organized and facilitated by the Foundation’s new Program and M&E Manager, Mr. Kizito Ebhohimen. 

 Fundamental M&E concepts were reviewed during the workshop which really refreshed the participant’s knowledge and appreciation of M&E.  Practical issues were discussed and ways forward on how Gede can strengthen its M&E system in 2016 were identified.   

We believe that M&E and learning must be mainstreamed at the same time because M&E can be a tool to capture learning and lessons learned can provide more meaning to M&E.  

ARE YOUNG PEOPLE VULNERABLE TO MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS?

Research around the World suggests that mental disorders account for a large proportion of the disease burden in young people in all societies. Most mental disorders begin during youth (12–24 years of age), although they are often first detected later in life. Poor mental health is strongly related to other health and development concerns in young people notably lower educational achievements, substance abuse, violence, and poor reproductive and sexual health. As WHO has reported also, the more extreme aspect of mental health, suicide, is the leading killer among teenagers around the world.

Gede Foundation marked this year’s Mental Health Day by organizing   a seminar among school teachers in the FCT to raise awareness about mental health and disabilities among in-school youths, and ways in which some of the challenges could be addressed. 110 participants including heads of schools, teachers, school counselors, FCT Education Board and civil society organizations noted the need for school-based interventions for mental health.

The effectiveness of some interventions( linkages between schools and  community mental health specialists) for some mental disorders in this age-group have been established, although more research is urgently needed to improve the range of affordable and feasible interventions, since most mental-health needs in young people are unmet.

Recommendations from the event will be forwarded to relevant agencies who will ensure that some level of school-based interventions is promoted. 

GEDE AND WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY 2015

World Mental Health Day is observed on October 10 every year, with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts to promote it. The day also presents an opportunity for all stakeholders working in different areas concerning mental health to bring to the global consciousness the roles and significance of mental health to the overall contribution to general well-being.

Gede featured on a radio programme with WE FM 106.3 in the Federal Capital Territory to present its plans in marking this year’s event which will include:

 Raising awareness about mental health by working with the FCT Bikers’ Association through organizing a road show which will run from Transcorp Hilton Junction and Millennium Recreational Park in the FCT on 10 October 2015.The activity will attract media coverage and will be used as a preparatory activity for the main event. An estimated 30 Bikers will take part in the road show using banners with mental health messages and,

A seminar presentation by a team of experts who will deliver sessions with relevant topics covering mental health and disabilities among in-school youths. About 50 participants including heads of schools, teachers, school counselors and FCT education Board senior staff across the six area councils in the FCT will form the core attendees for the 14 October 2015 event.

These activities will add to i)   awareness raising on mental health in general and specifically targeting school based mental health issues, ii) existing knowledge  within education sector on the need to include mental health interventions within secondary schools, and,  iii) initiating a school-based  response to addressing the mental health-related disorders in schools. All of these will add to raise awareness across different sectors and within civil society organizations and stakeholders.

Join us on the road show and add your voices to promote mental health!

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS - MENTAL HEALTH 'MAKES IT'

As many readers of Gede blogs will have seen, last week, the United Nations adopted what have been called ‘the new millennium development goals’ – the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While some commentators have questioned the sheer range of the Goals themselves (SDGs are certainly ambitious with 17 new goals and 169 targets which will help to define ‘development’ from 2015 to 2030), the fact that they now include mental health is being seen as a significant step forward on many different levels.

SDGs include mental health in the following ways –

Paragraph 7 – “We envisage a world…with equitable and universal access to quality education at all levels, to health care and social protection, where physical, mental and social well-being are assured”,

Paragraph 26 – “To promote physical and mental health and well-being, and to extend life expectancy for all, we must achieve universal health coverage and access to quality health care. We are committed to the prevention and treatment of non communicable diseases, including behavioural, developmental and neurological disorders, which constitute a major challenge for sustainable development”,

Mental health is also included in Goals 3.4, 3.5, 3.8 –

Goal 3.4 – “By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being”,

Goal 3.5 – “Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol”, 

Goal 3.8 – “Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.”

As many commentators have noted, this agenda implies the inclusion of mental health within universal health coverage, a development very much in line with the advocacy positions adopted by organisations such as WHO. 

The inclusion of mental health into internationally agreed development targets represents a significant victory for those organisations (including Gede) which added their voices to the chorus that became deafening in the lead up to the UN meeting last week. Now, however, the real challenge must be faced – how can mental health be integrated into existing health platforms in low and middle income settings in particular? This is already the cutting edge focus of the Foundation’s work which will give us an increasing important voice in the years to come as more and more underserved and stigmatised health burdens (many of which are non communicable) come ‘out of the shadows’.

GEDE’S PREVALENCE STUDY-ROUNDING UP WITH DATA COLLECTION

Gede’s current prevalence survey on depression, alcohol abuse and suicidality among a sample of 1200 people living with HIV-AIDS in 3 district hospitals in FCT is gradually coming to the end of data collection.

Actual data collection started in June 15 2015 (and seemed then to be endless and overwhelming as this was Gede's first such Study) and is now coming close to the end of data collection as a field exercise. Although, a lot of challenges were faced and addressed during the field activities, the quality of data collected has been maintained by the various checks put in place through proper supervision, especially from the Project Director-Dr Cynthia Ticao.

As we are one week away to the end of data collection, Gede is excited and would like to thank the interviewers, site coordinators, partners including the Institute for Human Virology in Nigeria(IHVN) and more importantly, our dear respondents for sharing this initiative with Gede and going through some inconveniences to ensure that the project succeeds.

We are excited to have reached 1067 as at today and hope to meet our target within the space of one week from now.

A million thanks for all that are directly and indirectly involved and we hope to share the reports to relevant stakeholders with the sole aim of making positive contributions to treatment and care for those living with HIV-AIDS.

Watch this space for further updates on the study

GEDE and SUMMER SCHOOL, LONDON

Gede is participating in 2015 Summer School short courses at King’s College, London. This programme is organised every year by the Global Mental Health (Research and Action), in order to share global best practises, especially, on researches and ways in which they are linked to evidence-based interventions. Different research findings and methodologies are delivered through a range of topics by renowned global Mental Health experts which allowed participants to appreciate the interface between research and programme implementation.

 Gede, through this participation, is enhancing its knowledge-based potentials regarding its current programmes on Mental Health in Nigeria and strengthening   partnership opportunities between King’s College and other possible collaborators.

GEDE and VOICE GHANA-DAY II

The meeting between VOICE GHANA and GEDE FOUNDATION entered the second day with more in-depth interactions about the technicalities adopted by Voice Ghana in implementing the Basic Needs model for people living with disability in Ghana.

The technical sessions included practical questions which helped to analyze the realities of the model, especially as it relates to the formation of self-help groups, programme activities, monitoring and evaluation, funding opportunities and an overall sustainability plan. There was a general feeling throughout the meeting that Gede’s engagement of the Basic Needs approach would have significant potential to benefit those living with mental health challenges throughout Nigeria in the long run.

Through this blog, Gede would like to thank our friends at Voice Ghana and Basic Needs for facilitating the visit of Mr Charles Nyante who, over the two days, provided the Foundation with a significant insight into ways in which the basic Needs model works for the benefit of those living with mental health challenges in Ghana. Watch this space for further developments between Gede, Basic Needs and Voice Ghana.

Mental Health and Poverty

Benjamin Alutoho of Poverty and Associated Maladies Initiative (PAMAI) was quite innovative in his presentation at Gede Foundation Mental Health Dialogue of 9th September, 2015, when he asked participants to pair up and ask each other the questions – does poverty cause poor mental health?, and, does poor mental health lead to poverty. There was quite a buzz in the once quiet room as each partner in the pair was eager to express his/ her opinion about each question.

The consensus submission was that poor mental health can lead to poverty and vice versa. Thereafter, Benjamin went further to shock participants by stating that mental health is a ‘luxury item’ for poor people and developing countries. He explained this by saying that governments, donor agencies, international health bodies all have a way of focusing their attention on seeming common illnesses and pay very little or no attention to mental health which probably is the framework for a number of these other illnesses. The dialogue regrettably came to an end but participants at the session were glad they could well identify the relationship between mental health and poverty. The next session takes place on Wednesday, 30th September, 2015. Email Mr Godwin Etim on godwin@gedefoundation.org to make a reservation.