Speech by Northern Cape MEC for Health Shiwe Selao at the World Mental Health Day celebrations in Kimberley

Colleagues on my Senior Management team
Health professionals
Officials from various government departments
Clients of our health services
Members of the community
All guests present

Allow me to once again welcome you to the Northern Cape's 2007 World Mental Health Day celebrations.

With mental health services having been neglected in the past, particularly in this province, we have to work hard to make up for lost time by making rapid progress in terms of our people's mental well being. I therefore won't try to disguise the fact that I will use this platform not only to create awareness about mental health issues, but also very importantly to lobby support for an extremely important cause.

Last year's global theme highlighted the very high number of suicides worldwide related to mental illnesses and we called attention to the fact that suicide is often a consequence of failing to treat serious mental illnesses, such as depression and schizophrenia.

In fact, studies from both developed and developing countries show a high prevalence of mental illness among those who die by suicide. Sadly, the figures depicting such tragic deaths here in the Northern Cape are no different and too regularly we read of the unnecessary loss of lives in our local media.

But just one such death is one too many and the frequency with which we bear witness to these unfortunate incidents of bereavement speaks to the fact that mental illnesses are a very real problem in our own communities.

This year, the theme has progressed to focusing on a key element in mental illnesses which also affects the diagnosis and treatment thereof. And today, together with the rest of the world, we will focus our attention on 'Mental Health in a Changing World,' as well as the 'Impact of Culture and Diversity.'

Culture may influence many aspects of mental health, including how individuals from a given culture communicate and manifest their symptoms, their style of coping, their family and community support structures, and their willingness to seek treatment.

Likewise, the cultures of the clinician and the service system influence diagnosis, treatment, and service delivery.

This is very relevant to the Northern Cape, as we live in the largest province, with the sparsest population, and yet have a huge collection of cultural diversity. Hence, the Northern Cape in particular needs to draw attention to giving the very best care possible.

This can, however only be done if we move forward by constantly taking into consideration the differences of those we are trying to help.

In this regard, together with the upcoming completion of the new Mental Hospital, I make an appeal to all stakeholders involved to work together to develop an approach to health care that incorporates our specific cultural backgrounds and beliefs, and also deals with language barriers, creating culturally sensitive forms of dialogue.

We therefore need to start understanding and assisting one another as communities and individuals. As departments we are doing cross-cultural health care but we do not always see the efforts of the community with regards to getting used to various behaviours, beliefs and ways of living.

This is important because due to our human nature, when we get ill or get faced with trauma and life changing situations, we generally turn back to our roots for support.

Regardless of whether you are a doctor, a nurse, an official or a member of the public, I thus appeal to you to get serious about finding ways that will help us to overcome the barriers of language and cultural differences, views of mental illness, gender issues, and different training and teaching methods.

If we are successful in our approach, I have no doubt that we will contribute greatly to the destigmatisation of mental health issues. This is critical to enable all affected patients to come forward for help, and also for them to receive the required levels of support from their family, friends and community.

Hence it is important that we change the image of 'mental health care,' so that when these words are spoken, they do not conjure up images of schizophrenics dressed in straight jackets being locked-up in padded cells.

Instead people should know that the definition of mental illness has changed and that it now incorporates a large variety of emotional and psychological problems that have arisen due to the changing times we live in.

Varying moral values and codes of conduct have further resulted in many more issues requiring specialised professional help. And many more ordinary people just like you and me, are coming forward to be guided through difficult patches in their lives.

This brings me to another point. In general, we are continuously seeing a much larger client base coming forward for medical assistance in all spheres of our health services.

However, in as much as our hospitals cannot accommodate all those who have taken ill, we cannot house every single person who is affected by a mental illness.

Instead, we must get our people to understand that in terms of mental illnesses, hospitals are for stabilisation and that the services themselves should stretch into the community.

I say this because we do not have enough psychiatrists and psychologists to give every client the attention that they deserve.

Therefore, as community members we should take responsibility by forming a multitude of support groups that health professionals can use as referral purposes for their patients.

I am aware that in the other provinces there are plenty of Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) providing mental health services, yet in the Northern Cape this important sector is lacking.

I cannot stress the importance of the development of such structures enough, specifically since government has shifted a huge emphasis onto the creation of partnerships.
In fact, only on Monday we celebrated the 'Partnerhsip Against AIDS' event in the Mier area, whereby we acknowledged our partners in the fight against HIV, AIDS, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and tuberculosis (TB). I also further called on the community to build partnerships with government, as we are of the opinion that government cannot go it alone. Instead, if we want to eventually win the struggle, we have to stand together and work together.

We have already seen the fruits of these partnerships, not to mention the efforts of the National Association of People With AIDS (Napwa), as they work towards giving a face to HIV and AIDS. Not to mention all the other NGOs who provide us with valuable home-based carers, who perform a critical task within our communities.

Hence, mental health is not the task of one department alone but rather it is the task of all departments, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the private sector to which I make a special appeal today to adopt developing support groups and NGOs which will assist us on the road to good mental health.

I must further put emphasis on the responsibility of all such stakeholders to assist in the re-integration of those who have been affected by mental illnesses so that they can be brought back into society where, if possible, they can regain their status as economically productive citizens.

In closing, I also want to remind you that your health lies in your very own hands, and that whilst we have a joint responsibility to ensure health service excellence, as an individual you also have a responsibility to protect yourself and very importantly to seek treatment.

Please make use of the available mental services at our health facilities. You should not feel ashamed to make an appointment with a psychologist or to visit a doctor for depression. Instead you should be proud that you are taking responsibility for your own well being.

And for those who feel embarrassed, those who are scared or those who cannot look out for their own mental health, let us step in and support them.

Thank you

Issued by: Department of Health, Northern Cape Provincial Government