Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Mimi Mefo Info
Published on 2024-02-23 19:52:06
The figures of drug-related cases in Cameroon are alarming. Just for the year 2023, there were 15,565 cases of psychosis and 3,183 cases of disorders related to drug consumption that were diagnosed. “Drugs act on the nervous system and disrupt its functioning,” explains Dr. Laure Menguene, Deputy Director in charge of Mental Health at the Ministry of Public Health, as cited by the Urgentiste news website. “Drug consumption can lead to depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and psychosis, in other words, you start to delirium and talk about things that have nothing to do with reality,” emphasizes this advocate for mental health. And that’s not all. “It puts you in a state of confusion, lethargy, aggressiveness, violence. What is particular about drugs is that they can lead to all the previously mentioned symptoms, and those symptoms can also lead an individual to consume drugs, which can include alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis,” Dr. Menguene points out.
When it comes to depression alone, more than 7,994 cases were diagnosed in 2023, according to the Ministry of Public Health’s figures. A number that appears to not correspond to reality, as cases of depression have become commonplace throughout Cameroon. “This number is even insignificant compared to reality. It is a pale reflection of reality,” indicates a mental health specialist close to the matter at the Ministry of Public Health, also cited by our colleagues. According to this source, “These statistics are only data from the health information system and the completeness of this data is not correct. The number is much larger.”
For years, teams within the ministry have been promoting behaviors conducive to mental health by organizing various information, education, and communication activities to raise awareness among the population on the best ways to protect their health.
Between November 2021 and October 2023, 549 people suffering from mental health issues have been removed from the streets, with 110 of them in the year 2023 alone. 233 people have been cured, 28 patients have been reintegrated into society, 25 patients have been lost to follow-up, 79 deaths have been recorded, and 113 patients are still interned.
Read the original article(French) on Mimi Mefo Info
