The Kenya Psychiatric Association has decried a shortage of medical workers to tackle the growing challenge of mental illness across the country.
Led by its president, Dr Mercy Karanja, the association revealed that Kenya has only 150 psychiatrists serving a population of over 50 million people.
Speaking in Eldoret, Dr Karanja said the shortage has severely affected the country’s ability to respond to rising mental health cases, with each specialist effectively responsible for millions of patients.
“We are asking for more workers because, as we speak, we do not have adequate healthcare staff to attend to the needs of mental patients. There is a big gap in mental healthcare across our institutions, and this should be treated as urgent if we are to perform our duties effectively,” she said.
Dr Karanja added that one in every four Kenyans is at risk of suffering a mental illness at some point in their lives, while 40 per cent of patients who visit hospitals for other conditions also struggle with mental health challenges.
“I want to make it very clear that it’s unfortunate to see that despite such high prevalence, only 20 per cent of patients can access mental health services. The majority of those living with mental illness cannot get the care they deserve, yet we have qualified professionals out there,” she said.
Dr Karanja was addressing the media during the 17th Annual Scientific Conference of the Kenya Psychiatric Association held last week.
“As a professional body, we are focusing on innovation, integration and impact within our communities when it comes to mental health interventions for Kenyans,” she added.
Karanja noted that one solution to the crisis lies in community-based interventions, with emphasis on prevention, wellness promotion, integration, and care for those already treated.
As part of community involvement, participants visited the Dr Edith Kwoba Nawiri Rehabilitation Centre at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, which supports Kenyans facing mental health challenges. The centre was founded by the late Dr Kwoba in collaboration with MTRH and AMPATH.
Dr Edith Kwoba, who died a year ago, was honoured with a memorial walk through the streets of Eldoret. “We have also engaged the local community, reminding them that we cannot have good health without mental health. We have addressed stigma around mental illness and sensitised them to understand that mental health is like any other illness, it can be treated,” Dr Karanja said.
She added that the conference focused on community-based interventions for addressing mental health, emphasising that patients should not be stigmatised or discriminated against.
“They should be treated with compassion, care, dignity, and love. We cannot insist only on hospital care; patients must also be integrated back into society to resume normal, productive lives,” she said.
“Our message is that community mental health is a strong solution to improving wellness for our generation, our society, and our nation. We must invest in community interventions, reduce stigma and raise awareness,” she added.