The long-awaited National Mental Health Act of 2021 introduces international best practices in the care, treatment and rights of mental health patients in Nigeria.
Since its inception, the Centre for Health Ethics, Law and Development (CHELD) has been at the forefront of issues of mental health in Nigeria through various advocacy programmes, including advocacy for the decriminalisation of attempted suicide, support for the rights of persons with mental health condition and advocacy for the passage of the Act.
Led by its Executive Director, Prof Cheluchi Onyemelukwe, the Centre for Health Ethics, Law and Development (CHELD) made a significant contribution to the drafts of the recently passed National Mental Health Act 2021.
Centre for Health Ethics, Law and Development (CHELD) in its latest Mental Health Policy Brief discusses the historical context of mental health in Nigeria and the rationale behind the Act.
Importantly, the policy brief identifies the next steps towards full implementation.