Uganda is among the top six countries in Africa with the highest levels of depression caused by the Covid-19 induced lockdown.
The revelation was made by Doreen Kanyesigye, a mental health advocate during a virtual meeting on Medical Practice and Covid 19 on Monday, October 18.
According to Ms Kanyesigye, policies in place have no regard to mental health, with some institutions such as churches and schools, which play a pivotal role in fighting mental illness declared non-essential.
“As of October 2020, there were 11,000 cases of people suffering from depression due to lockdown in Uganda,” Ms Kanyesigye said during the meeting moderated by Gawaya Tegulle and Anne Tendo themed ‘Is Uganda on the right Course’.
Mental illnesses are health conditions involving changes in emotion, thinking or behavior (or a combination of these). Mental illnesses are associated with distress and/or problems functioning in social, work or family activities.
“These institutions – places of worship and schools – are very important in the fight against mental illness as a model designed by the World Health Organisation buy they have been closed for too long. In low and middle income countries such as Uganda, the treatment gap for mental health is very huge with a 1:1,000,000 psychiatrist to patient ratio. In this case, with closed churches, some people are missing out on free treatment, counselling and advice,” Ms Kanyesigye said.
In July, President Museveni partially eased a 42-day lockdown imposed in order to curb the spread of Covid-19. Places of worship, schools, casinos, gyms and bars must remain closed while weddings and burials can be attended by only 20 people.
But Kanyesigye faulted government for its rigid restrictions saying reasons for closure of schools is invalid.
“There is no scientific proof that these institutions aid the spread of Covid 19,” she said.
She was supported by Dr Clara Wekesa, a physician, who, while responding to a question about the effectiveness of SoPs and vaccination, said more people are getting depressed because of the lockdown and not Covid-19.
“Even with scanty statistics, data shows that there is an increase in suicidal thoughts, depression and coping mechanisms,” Dr Wekesa, who admitted to not getting vaccinated yet because she is not convinced about the research done on the vaccines yet, said.
“To front vaccination as a tool to reopening the country is not accurate. Instead, lets look at natural immunity,” she said.
“The lockdown is just postponing the problem, not solve it. For example, we do not have the number of people who died of complications from diabetes because they could not access health facilities. But they are many,” she said.
About places of worship being super spreaders, Dr Wekesa rubished the claims, saying in 2020, research showed that children were more likely to spread Covid-19 only for the same researchers to come out and say children were not (superspreaders).
At the same meeting, National Unity Platform Vice President Lina Zedriga said the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic is a global conspiracy fueled by ‘Covidentreprenuers’ at the expense of citizens.
“In Uganda, it has been militarised and monitilised, a manifestation of a bigger problem,” she said.
All speakers, including Bishop Wisdom K. Peter called for the end to the lockdown and complete reopenig of places of worship and schools.
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