A lot has changed since the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic in Kenya in March 2020.
The pandemic has ushered in an abysmal state of affairs varying from a recession to the near collapse of healthcare infrastructure to massive poverty increase, amongst other unavoidable ills. Conspicuously, mental health has also declined with a significant chunk of Kenyans sliding into depression and some considering or going on with suicide.
According to the World Health Organization, 77 per cent of global suicides occur in low and middle-income nations and out of 175 countries ranked by the World Population Review, Kenya ranks114 out of the nations where suicide rates are higher. It is noteworthy to point out that the study was done pre pandemic period, where suicide rates were much lower than they are now.
The Kenya National Police Service says more than 500 Kenyans committed suicide in three months, preceding June of 2021 more than the statistics in all of 2020. The youngest victim was a nine-year-old, whilst the oldest recorded case was a septuagenarian who died by suicide at 76 years.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights links the rise to suicide to mental-ill health caused by a decline of socio-economic living with the majority of Kenyans. Structural determinants such as extreme poverty, lack of access to economic empowerment and discrimination increases the likelihood of individuals to die by suicide.
Despite all this stark pointers strongly pointing out that mental health should be a priority amongst the stump speeches during the electioneering period, the government has allocated a paltry 0.5 per cent of the annual budget to mental health. This is unfortunate given mental health disorders make up 13 per cent of all disorders and diseases and it would be prudent if the budgetary allocation reflected that.
Therefore, as the politicians sell their agenda to the electorate and attempt to ingratiate themselves to the masses for a chance of political survival or elevation, it would only make sense if they adopt mental health issue as one of their talking points.
The mudslinging and the usual political rhetoric meant to contrast from each other should not overshadow the need for the political class to engage in a conversation, guided by expert opinion and research, on stifling the rising rates of mental health decline in our country.
It should be nipped in the bud before it grows into a situation that is a scourge in the country, where it further exacerbates our progression as a nation and stagnates our national development.
Mental health is as sacrosanct as life and should be accorded such.
