Lagos proposes mental health policy for youths

The Lagos State Government has initiated a mental health policy to protect youths and other individuals with mental health challenges.

The state’s Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, made this known during the International Youth Day celebration at Alausa.

The United Nations Information Centre collaborated with the Lagos State Government and a non-governmental organisation, Strategy for Mentoring Initiative and Leadership Empowerment to celebrate the day in Lagos on Tuesday.

Orelope-Adefulire, represented by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Youth and Social Development, Dr. Dolapo Badru, said the policy would help to promote early detection in individuals with health challenges, such as Autism and Down Syndrome, among others.

She said, “We are doing this because we know that our youths are very important segments of the society. Our youths are often exposed to circumstances and conditions, which could trigger psychological imbalance. Therefore, they need some awareness and enlightenment that could guide them to cope well with stress or condition that could expose them to such psychological or emotional imbalance.”

The SMILE Founder, Mrs. Bimpe Bamgbose-Martins, who applauded the initiative, described its theme Youth and Mental Health as apt.

She said,“The United Nations has observed that poor mental health is a threat to the well being of young people around the world. With this programme, we hope to create the awareness on how to prevent it by staying away from substance abuse.”

The National Information Officer, UNIC, Oluseyi Soremekun, in a lecture titled, Ebola: What you need to know, urged youths to be hygienic and practice hand washing more than even before.

He said, “This is not about spreading fear; it is about being armed with knowledge. The contraction of Ebola virus is through body fluids, such as sweat, urine, blood and the saliva of an infected person. Wash your hands as frequently as possible and be watchful of your environment.”

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