By Chioma Obinna
While Nigeria is still struggling with recent reports that ranked the country 6th among miserable people in the world, the country has again, scored another negative point with regards to its already battered health indices.
The country has again broken another unenviable record with the number of dementia cases growing by 400 percent.
Dementia is a brain disorder that affects communication and performance of daily activities. It is an umbrella term for a set of symptoms including impaired thinking and memory. It is often associated with the cognitive decline of ageing.
In Nigeria, sadly, little or no attention is given to mental health disorders. Dementia victims are labelled witches or mentally derailed. The level of awareness on mental health issues is poor and fraught with lots of misconceptions.
The culture of stigma and discrimination fuels access to care as mental disorders are linked to supernatural causes including witchcraft, demonic possession,…
