ACHPN Holds Scientific Conference To Address Mental Illness In Nigeria

About two thousand Community Health Practitioners across Nigeria have converged on Minna, Niger State for the 2025 National Scientific Conference.

Addressing the participants at the five day event, the National President, Association of Community Health Practitioners of Nigeria, ACHPN, Dr Kabir Yahaya Ahmed said the conference provides a platform to create actionable framework that will redefine service delivery for the better.

The theme of the conference is “Unravelling The Intersections and Bridging The Gap: Community Approaches To Mental Health And Systemic Illness.””

The five days conference is organized by the Association of Community Health Practitioners of Nigeria, ACHPN, to upscale the knowledge of community practitioners who serve as a link between communities and the formal health system.

The National President of the Association, Dr Kabir Yahaya Ahmed, said the knowledge of members can only be updated through regular interactions in view of the current reality in the health sector.

Dr. Kabir Ahmed said that through sustained efforts, a new culture of dialogue, transparency, and collaboration have been established to safeguard the future of the profession.

Dr Yahaya Ahmed paid a glowing tribute to those who contributed to the sustainance of Community Health Practice, especially the former Military ruler General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida whose government
institutionalized community health profession as a critical component.

Speaking on the ‘Theme of the conference, ‘Unravelling the Intercession and Bridging the Gap, Community Approaches to Mental Health and Systemic illness, the Coordinating Minister of Health, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate said the figure for mental health issues among Nigerians is worrisome.

According to the Minister, about 30 per cent of Nigerians experience mental health conditions at some points stressing that one in every four people, live with some form of mental illness with only ten percent receiving medical attention.

The Minister, who was represented by his technical assistant, Dr Ashiru Adamu Abubakar, said to check the prevalence, the Ministry has embarked on repositioning primary health care to enhance access to healthcare services.

The Coordinating Minister of Health explained that the Ministry is working in partnership with State Governments through the signing of Memorandum of Understanding, MoU that would guarantee the recruitment of about five thousand frontline health workers into the civil service to bridge the gap in human resource.

”About two thousand Community Health Practitioners across Nigeria have converged on Minna, Niger State for the 2025 National Scientific Conference.

In a presentation, the Registrar, Community Health Practitioners Registration Board of Nigeria, Dr Bashir Idris urged community health practitioners to embrace technology, acquire more knowledge, and discharge their duties diligently.

Dr Bashir Idris stated that the curriculum of community health practitioners has been reviewed to enable them to attend to patients professionally and issue referral to higher facilities where necessary.

”They can refer to secondary or tertiary facilities that such cases can be addressed properly. Because there are cases that our members can not address‘

Dr Idris expressed optimism that reviewing the training of members would address ante-natal counselling, being one of the areas that breeds mental health but is often neglected.

One of the highlights of the event was the presentation of awards to deserving members and other individuals for their outstanding contributions to community healthcare services in the country.

Mathew Ayoola, Edited By Grace Namiji