Dear Colleagues & Friends,

Greetings from Refugee Law Project. As part of our continuous commitment towards information sharing and dissemination, as well as contribution to public review process, conflict analysis and provision of early warnings, this Saturday we bring to you TEYAT radio talk show on the theme "Mental Health: Implications to Post Conflict Recovery". 

Do not miss out on this informative and insightful discussion as our guest speakers from the district and the mental health unit take on the debate this Saturday 18th October 2014 starting from 10am-12pm at Radio Mega 102 FM in Gulu.

Please find attached the concept note for the talk show, ideas, and opinions about the program are welcome [Moderator's note: please see the concept note pasted below]. 

For further information please contact us at [log in to unmask] or [log in to unmask]

Regards,

Moses A. Nsubuga
ICT Officer
Refugee Law Project
+256-414-343556
www.refugeelawproject.org


Concept note: 

Saturday, October 18, 2014 Time: 10:00am-12:00pm

The 2013 Advisory Consortium on Conflict Sensitivity (ACCS) report titled "Northern Uganda Conflict Analysis" pointed out a number of key conflict issues country wide but with much focus on northern Uganda. A number of conflict issues in the report directly and indirectly affect the state of the mind in various manners, and impacts differently on each gender. A number of issues, in the report did not speak directly to the predicament of mental health, a number of argument and analysis can be drawn from the report with indication that there is need to address the mental health problem in post conflict northern Uganda. 

To date, post conflict northern Uganda continues to be characterized by a number of cases of depression, trauma, and post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD). On the 10th October, the world celebrated the World Mental Health Day, the Refugee Law Project School of Law joined the rest of the stake holders in commemoration of this day by conducting information session on mental health in its Gulu field office with focus on "Depression and Transitional Justice", during which causes, signs, symptoms and treatment for mental illness were discussed including case management.

In a news article by the new vision newspaper of 31st August, 2008 by Conan Businge, it was noted that northern Uganda tops worldwide on mental illness. In another survey conducted by a team of British and Ugandan psychiatrist established that the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder in northern Uganda is higher than that ever recorded in the world-blaming it on war. In another research paper published by the Journal of BMC psychiatry, out of over 1,200 adults in Gulu and Amuru district assessed by psychiatrists in 2006, more than half (54%) were suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and that more than a third of the individuals surveyed (67%) had signs of depression. Worryingly is that there was also a strong link between mental health and poverty. It is noted that there is a close connection between mental health and chronic poverty.

However, there are national policy documents that attempt to address the challenges facing mental health. The Uganda National Health Policy and Draft Mental Health Policy (2000 & 2005) committed to prioritize mental disorder because it is the major contributor to the country's disease burden. In 1960, all mental health services in Uganda were decentralized and a number of mental health units were built at regional referral hospitals. In a report by the World Health Organisation in 2010 on mental health and service provision, it was noted that the mental health units at regional referral hospitals resembled prisons, and most people had little understanding of mental disorder or did not know that effective treatments and services were available, over 80% of the patients went to traditional healers before reporting to health systems. 

To date, up country mental health units have very low members of medics in the field of psychiatry. In Uganda there are only 28 psychiatrists for a population of over 33 million people. It should also be noted that mental cases constitute 12% of the global disease burden and it is projected to reach 15% by the year 2020. In Uganda at least 35% of the population (over 11.5 million people) suffers from different psychiatric disorders. Listen to this Saturday's Teyat at radio mega FM as our panel of experts discusses causes, signs and symptoms and management of mental illness and its challenges to post conflict recovery and the way forward.

Do not miss out this timely debate by our guest speakers. The Advisory Consortium on Conflict Sensitivity (ACCS) - Refugee Law Project (RLP) Teyat radio program acts as a forum for information gathering and sharing. We aim to constitute public review process through which information will be available for contextual analysis and early warnings in relation to potential conflict risks, evidence based advocacy, experiences and day -to- day conflict sensitivity approach in Northern.


The Refugee Law Project, a community out-reach project of the School of Law, Makerere University, was created in 1999 to promote the enjoyment of human rights for all refugees within Uganda. Over the years, the Refugee Law Project has established its reputation as the leading centre for justice and forced migrants in Uganda. For more information about the work of Refugee Law Project visit www.refugeelawproject.org 


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