Nairobi November 18, 2019 – The Ministry of Health is set to implement the Quality Rights Mental Health initiative aimed at transforming mental health and promoting human rights for people with mental disorders.
The initiative is an undertaking by the government to transform services in the country to be in line with the convention on the rights of persons with disabilities (CRPD).
The implementation of the initiative will be an important strategy that will enable the Ministry of Health to achieve the Kenya Mental Health Policy goal of attaining the highest standards of mental health, the Director of Mental Health, Dr. Simon Njuguna said during the Mental Health pre-Conference media briefing today.
“For a long time people living with mental disorders have suffered historical injustices and it’s high time the society recognizes their rights,” he noted.
Kenya has set targets for realization of the Quality Rights initiative and will conduct e-training on WHO Quality Rights on mental health, human rights and recovery to at least 50000 service providers, users, carers and other community workers in 47 counties in Kenya., he said
Dr. Njuguna noted that public awareness on Quality Rights mental health initiative will also be conducted to change the narrative, attitudes and practices and assessment and reports on the quality of care and observance of human rights in the National referral hospitals, 15 mental health units, 29 mental health outpatient clinics in Kenya and social care and community based mental health services.
The Quality Rights mental initiative will be instrumental in building capacity among mental health professionals and other health workers, people with lived experience, families, carers and other supporters, NGOs and organizations of people with disabilities on how to implement a human rights and recovery approach in the mental health and social care fields in line with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
In addition the Ministry will develop long term strategies on sustainable and effective Quality Rights implementation in Kenya, establish and train a mixed stakeholders national coordinating committee and assessment committees and monitor and evaluate improvement of mental health services following the Quality Rights e-training and assessments.
“Through the QualityRights Initiative, people with mental health conditions, psychosocial disabilities and intellectual or cognitive disabilities will experience better health outcomes and respect for their rights in all aspects of their lives, he said.
The Ministry of labour Chief of occupational safety and social health officer Jacinta Mwende retaliated that a programme will be launched to protect persons with mental illnesses at their work places.
