Kenya commits to promoting mental well-being at work
- Posted on 10/10/2023 14:21
- Film
- By abelozih@sante-education.tg
Extract from the article: Une récente étude révèle que les problèmes de santé mentale ont représenté une perte économique de 0,6% du PIB kényan en 2020. Face à ce constat alarmant, le ministère kényan de la Santé a lancé des lignes directrices nationales visant à favoriser le
A recent study revealed that mental health problems
accounted for an economic loss of 0.6% of Kenya's GDP in 2020. In response to
this alarming finding, the Kenyan Ministry of Health has launched national
guidelines aimed at promoting mental well-being in the workplace. These
guidelines focus on prevention, care and support for those affected.
According to official figures, around 3.7 million of
Kenya's 24.9 million workers face mental health problems such as anxiety,
depression, substance use disorders, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The
new guidelines encourage everyone in an organisation to take part in this
wellbeing journey, encouraging employees to look after themselves, develop
coping skills and seek social support and care.
Under these guidelines, employers, whether in the
private or public sector, are required to improve the working environment to
facilitate employees' access to care and to provide the resources necessary to
implement these measures. The Minister of Health, Susan Nakhumicha, stresses
the significant impact of a poor working environment on physical and mental
health, as well as on substance abuse.
The 2021 Kenya Mental Health Investment Case estimates
that the economic burden associated with mental health problems reached 62.2
billion shillings in 2020, or around 424 million dollars, corresponding to a
loss of 0.6% of GDP that same year.
In June 2021, Kenya launched the Mental Health Action
Plan 2021-2025, which aims to bring affordable services closer to communities,
ensuring comprehensive quality care and developing person-centred services.
Jean ELI
