By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
KAMPALA
LEM Mindfulness and Talk To Birungi have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish collaboration between the two mental health advocates.
The Memorandum was signed by the Executive Director of LEM Mindfulness, Martin Bakundana (PhD) and the the founder of Talk To Birungi, Birungi B Kasfah at LEM Mindfulness offices Ntinda on Friday, 17 November ,2023.
Under the new relationship, both organisations shall collectively support each other for promoting mental health awareness in Uganda as well as leveraging into available resources to reach a larger population of mental health professionals and people in need of services.
Speaking short after the signing of the agreement, Birungi said that mental health cases are high in men than in women. She attributed this to domestic violence in families.
She noted that many men faced with mental health problems are dying in silence due to the cultural belief that forces them to bottle up their mental agony despite numerous calls to share their challenges and have them solved.
Birungi said they decided to partner with LEM Mindfulness because they have shared interests urging other organizations in the mental health related spaces to join the partnership with aim to promoting awareness and reach out to millions of people.
Martin Bakundana, PhD, team leader at LEM Mindfulness on the other hand commended Birungi B Kasfah initiative on Talk To Birungi for formalizing their relationship with LEM.
“We have been working with Birungi informally, but today they have formally joined us,” he said
He added that the MoU will not only strengthen the two organisations relations but also help in engaging in research, innovations concerning mental wellness.
This evening (Friday 17th November,2023) @LemMindfulness and @KasfahB (#TalkToBirungi) signed a MoU to promote #MentalHealthAwareness in Uganda. The signing was at LEM Mindfulness offices at Techbuzz in Ntinda, Nakawa Division Kampala. @MBakundana @CarolyneBavuga @ShoonyaUg pic.twitter.com/EZJ4Mkkdh8
— Parrots UG (@parrotsug) November 17, 2023
“In Uganda, there is no comprehensive research that has been done for on mental health. Our expectation is that we do research based on facts and numbers that will cover millions interns of responses,” Bakundana explained.
Government Efforts To Support Mental Health Care
Bakundana commended the government for its efforts in supporting Mental health care in Uganda. Pointing out the recent amendment of the Mental Health Act, 2023, and the tabling of the Bill to regulate consumption of Alcohol by Torooro woman MP, Sarah Opendi and the National Medical Insurance Plan (being discussed by the cabinet), LEM Mindfulness Executive Director said the government is making progress in supporting mental health care.
Towards Mental Health Support: @MBakundana (PhD), Team leader @LemMindfulness says the Govt is making a significant improvement for supporting Mental Health Care in Uganda.@JaneRuth_Aceng @MinofHealthUG @GovUganda @Educ_SportsUg @JanetMuseveni @Thomas_Tayebwa @R_Nabbanja pic.twitter.com/PiI8CBio41
— Parrots UG (@parrotsug) November 18, 2023
He however decried the inadequate numbers of health professionals to attend to mental health related cases in regional referral hospitals.
“Uganda has only 53 psychiatrists who are employed in public hospitals. This makes the cost of mental health expensive to us in the private sector because we cannot afford to hire them,” he added.
He appealed to the government to increase on the bed capacity of Butabika psychiatric hospital and established mental health wards at national and regional referral hospitals.
