As part of efforts to address the widespread mental health issues that have been made worse by the current economic downturn, a toll-free helpline for mental health and psycho-social support specifically aimed at adolescents has been launched by the Sokoto State Government in partnership with Plan International, a non-governmental organization funded by Global Affairs Canada.
The State Commissioner of Health, Asabe Balarabe, noted that emphasised that the initiative was part of the ‘Aspire Project’ initiated by the NGO to address mental health-related issues.
Speaking on behalf of Balarabe, the ministry’s director of public health, Abdulganiyu Yusuf, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to putting these policies into place in all of the state’s medical institutions.
She added, “These include training and retraining of personnel to ensure mental health services are available in all Primary Health Care Centers in Sokoto State.”
The commissioner commended Plan International for its support and emphasized the government’s commitment to societal well-being by promising continued support for all project operations.
Health, Mental Health and Psycho-social Support Officer of the organisation, Camillus Ogba, explained that the event was aimed at promoting proper mental health among adolescents.
He emphasised the importance of providing support to individuals facing mental health and psycho-social challenges by connecting them with professionals.
Ogba says that the toll-free helpline would provide the citizens with a vital resource for addressing mental health challenges, adding that the project’s duration was five years and meant to cover all 23 local government areas of the state.
