President Uhuru Kenyatta has ordered for the establishment of an ultra modern National Mental hospital in the country to fight the disease.
The president says this is meant to accommodate the phenomenal increase in mental illness across the country especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The new institution will be dubbed the East Africa Primer Mental Health facility.
Uhuru said this centre will offer training, research in psychiatry, specialist psychiatry treatment, Child and adolescence mental wellness, drug abuse and addictive disorder treatment among other services.
"I shall be looking at this house (Parliament) to support the funding of this facility," Uhuru said.
Speaking during his State of the Nation Address on Thursday from Parliament, Uhuru also directed that the elevation of Mathare National Teaching and Referral hospital as a semi autonomous specialized hospital.
Kenya is among countries facing funding constraints for mental health services as demand rises sharply due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
A survey by the World Health Organization shows critical funding gaps are halting and disrupting crucial mental health services in Africa.
The survey of 28 African countries was undertaken as part of the first global examination of the devastating impact of Covid-19 on access to mental health services.
This finding comes as the Covid-19 pandemic increases demand for mental health services.
“Isolation, loss of income, the deaths of loved ones and a barrage of information on the dangers of this new virus can stir up stress levels and trigger mental health conditions or exacerbate existing ones,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa.
