Somali National News Agency
So
Ar
Search
  • Home
  • Local News
    Local NewsShow More
    Djibouti Commemorates 25th Anniversary of the Arta Somali Reconciliation Conference
    October 30, 2025
    Somalia’s Council of Ministers Approves 2026 Budget Quota Regulation, Greenlights Security and Migration Pacts with Qatar and Uganda
    October 30, 2025
    Ministry of Agriculture Appoints Task Force to Investigate Low-Quality Food and Vegetable Imports
    October 30, 2025
    Somali Police Commissioner Chairs High-Level Meeting with National and International Partners on Border Security
    October 30, 2025
    Parliamentary Secretary-General Visits Somali Embassy in Beijing, Commends Staff on Strengthening Sino-Somali Relations
    October 30, 2025
  • World News
    World NewsShow More
    Five people dead as rescue boat overturns in Pakistan floods
    September 7, 2025
    Landslide kills more than 1,000 in Sudan’s Darfur region, armed group says
    September 2, 2025
    Search for survivors still on after 800 killed in an earthquake in Afghanistan
    September 2, 2025
    An earthquake devastates eastern Afghanistan, killing more than 600 and destroying villages
    September 1, 2025
    Hamas accepts an Arab ceasefire proposal on Gaza as Palestinian death toll passes 62,000
    August 19, 2025
  • Articles
    ArticlesShow More
    President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh: The Djiboutian Leader Who Helped Rebuild Somalia’s Third Republic
    October 29, 2025
    Egypt’s New Administrative Capital: Ambitious, Smart and Underway
    October 27, 2025
    What We Risk When AI Systems Remember
    October 22, 2025
    America’s Tariff Weaponization: An Economic Analysis of 500% Tariffs and the Inevitable Bipolar Bifurcation
    October 19, 2025
    The ICG’s Somalia Report “ A Biased Narrative Designed to Sustain Fragility”
    October 18, 2025
  • Business
    BusinessShow More
    America’s Tariff Weaponization: An Economic Analysis of 500% Tariffs and the Inevitable Bipolar Bifurcation
    October 19, 2025
    Somalia Unveils the Blueprint for a Modern and Sustainable Mogadishu
    December 21, 2024
    Djibouti Launches $57.4 Million Youth Entrepreneurship Project to Combat Climate Change
    November 25, 2024
    FM meets Minister of Investment of Saudi Arabia
    October 28, 2024
    President Hassan Sheikh Inaugurates New LPG Storage Center in Mogadishu
    May 12, 2024
  • Sports
    SportsShow More
    Somali Ambassador to Kenya Congratulates Dekadaha FC on Historic CAF Confederation Cup Victory
    September 28, 2025
    Somalia’s Dekadaha FC faces Sudan’s Alzamala Sports Club in Nairobi
    September 20, 2025
    Mogadishu Stadium to Host Star-Studded Match Featuring Somali Legends and International Football Icons
    May 27, 2025
    Arsenal held at Brighton while Man City bounce-back continues
    January 5, 2025
    Galmudug wins the Inter-State Football Tournament
    January 29, 2024
  • Tenders
    TendersShow More
Reading: Urgent need to scale up mental health services in Somalia
Share
Font ResizerAa
Somali National News AgencySomali National News Agency
  • SOMALI
  • ARABIC
Search
  • Home
  • Local News
  • World News
  • Articles
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Tenders
Follow US
©2023 || All rights reserved SONNA
Somali National News Agency > Blog > News > Urgent need to scale up mental health services in Somalia
News

Urgent need to scale up mental health services in Somalia

By Osman
Last updated: October 12, 2020
4 Min Read
Share

MOGADISHU, Somalia (WHO)—On World Mental Health Day this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) in Somalia urged policy-makers, international and national agencies, and other civil society groups to scale up mental health services in Somalia. This request comes at a time when Somalis are faced with the consequences of the triple threat of COVID-19, flooding and desert locusts, in addition to other regular health and socioeconomic challenges.

According to estimates, one in every three Somalis is affected by a challenge related to their mental health. Unfortunately, however, there are only a few health facilities offering mental health services—for a country of 15 million, there are only 3 psychiatrists and 25 trained nurses dealing with mental health.

“Only when communities have access to good health in a holistic manner, physically and emotionally, can we have a peaceful, progressive and productive society,” said Dr Mamunur Malik, WHO Representative for Somalia. “We all need to join hands to ensure every Somali has access to mental health services, particularly psychosocial support at primary health care level.”

Dr Malik emphasized the inevitable health, economic and social costs that come with dismissing mental health problems. He explained that the burden of coping with diseases such as COVID-19 would only exacerbate the situation and result in more Somalis having to deal with unaddressed anxiety, stress and fear.

Since the first World Mental Health Day, launched 30 years ago, significant efforts have been made around the world to encourage people to talk openly about mental health conditions. In Somalia, there is a need to stop the stigma and discrimination against people suffering from mental health challenges. There is also a need to put an end to violence, and abuses orchestrated against those who are facing mental health problems.

The global theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day is ‘Move for Mental Health: let’s invest.’ In Somalia, in efforts to highlight the importance of ensuring mental health services are accessible by all, and to ensure that this becomes the norm for future generations, the country is commemorating the day with the theme ‘Investing in mental health is investing in Somalia’s future.’

The Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, Mr Adam Abdelmoula, released a recorded video message on World Mental Health Day, which is being broadcast across the WHO Somalia country office’s social media channels. In his message, he called for increasing development assistance from all humanitarian and development partners of Somalia to improve mental health services.

As mental health is fundamental to good health and the well-being of the population, WHO is urging all its partners and donors, including all UN agencies, to urgently scale up their support for mental health in the country and to break the cycle of neglect, lack of awareness, stigma and discrimination, which are often the drivers of poor mental health in any country.

Source: WHO

Share This Article
Facebook Whatsapp Whatsapp Email Copy Link Print

MORE NEWS

Ode to Yan’an: How a Song Inspired Chinese Youth During Wartime

ArticlesCulture
August 19, 2025

Djibouti Commemorates 25th Anniversary of the Arta Somali Reconciliation Conference

Arta, Djibouti – (SONNA) – The city of Arta, the cradle of Somalia's 21st-century statehood,…

October 30, 2025

Nasra Bashir Ali: Women can do like men, just try as I do

Mogadishu{SONNA}-:The prominent Somali journalist Nasra Bashir Ali, urged girls to depend on their selves and…

May 31, 2020

Weekly News Buletin Ministry of information, Culture and Tourism 1 August 2019

Weekly News Buletin Ministry of information, Culture and Tourism 1 August 2019 Bulletin Vol 10

September 2, 2019

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

AU special representative wishes the people of Somalia happy Eid Al-Adha

Mogadishu(SONNA)– On behalf of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African…

Local NewsNewsWorld News
August 1, 2020

U.S. to drop Houthi terrorist designation due to Yemen crisis

WASHINGTON (SONNA) -The United States intends to revoke the Houthi movement’s terrorist designation in response to Yemen’s humanitarian crisis, reversing…

Local NewsNewsPoliticsWorld News
February 6, 2021

Foreign Minister discusses with the Chairperson of the AU Commission to enhance joint cooperation

Addis Ababa (SONNA)- The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, H.E. Mr. Mohamed Abdirizak Mohamud Abubakar, met today in…

NewsWorld News
March 10, 2021

AMISOM mourns the passing of former sector one Commander

Mogadishu (SONNA):The entire African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) is deeply saddened by the news of the passing of former…

NewsWorld News
August 22, 2021

Somali National News Agency established in 1964. It is one of the main pillars of the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism.

  • Home
  • Local News
  • World News
  • Articles
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Tenders
  • SNTV
  • RADIO MOGADISHU
  • DALKA JOURNAL
  • TOURISM DEPARTMENT

Follow US: 

  • MoICT
  • VILLA SOMALIA
  • OPM SOMALIA

All rights reserved SONNA

©2023

Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?