The Federal Government has stated that it is committed to putting new mental health laws into effect in order to safeguard the rights of people with mental disabilities.The revelation was revealed by Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, Minister of Health and Human Services, at a stakeholder discussion that the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) arranged on Friday in Abuja to honor the 2023 World Mental Health Day.
Pate emphasized that individuals who are mentally challenged would be mainstreamed into related activities in order to successfully execute the new act.
"All persons have the rights to the best available mental health care, which shall be part of the health and social care system," according to the UN general's principle for the protection of people with mental health illness and the improvement of mental health care, as stated by NHRC executive secretary Tony Ojukwu (SAN) in his address. He stated that although this has not been accomplished, the government is still pursuing it.
Ojukwu claims that the debate was arranged in an attempt to increase awareness of mental health issues and related rights, as well as to mobilize organizations to fulfill government obligations under international human rights treaties pertaining to mental health.
The minister of women's affairs, Ms. Uju Kennedy, called for the correct integration of mental health patients into the Nigerian National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in her goodwill message. This will improve medical services and make mental health challenges more affordable.
Decriminalizing suicide in Nigeria is something that Chime Asonye of the civil society organization Nigeria Mental Health (NMH) has pushed for.
Asonye urged for the abolition of the suicide law because he believed that people with mental health issues who attempt suicide would prefer to need assistance than face punishment.
The Nigeria Mental Health Act 2023 targets mental health issues as well as other components like advocacy, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation. It also includes human rights safeguards for patients and encourages community-based care.