Carrymycross writes WHO over the plight of the mentally challenged as lockdown commences.
-Steve Ovirih
Carrymycross, a Non government Organization which objective is to care for people with mental challenge in the society, has written an open letter to World Health Organization (WHO) on the biting effect of the lockdown on the mentally challenged in the society.
The NGO in its open letter which was signed by both the Organization and its Mental Health Advocate, Mr. Rotimi Elijah Ogunsanmi, noted that it has observed deeply how the lockdown declared by the Federal Government of Nigeria has shown a great violation of the rights to protection for the mentally challenged in the society.
The letters says , ” the discriminatory policy of stay at home without providing housing for the mentally challenged living and surviving on the streets of Nigeria and other developing countries will further aggravate the coronavirus tendencies , exposing the mentally challenged to imminent catastrophy and high risk of contracting the coronavirus scourge.”
While the NGO admits that the stay at home care will lead to large coverage gains, it nonetheless averred that the mentally challenged roaming the street of Nigeria will remain at higher risk of being infected because of the lack of access to sanitation care and mass protection , which would exacerbate their already worsened health condition, stressing that if no immediate directive is given to cater to their welfare , a huge catastrophe looms for them.
The organization pointed out that natural justice and human rights demand that housing should be provided for the mentally challenged rather than being left to the street in this trying period of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Mr. Ogunsanmi expressed worries that World Health Organization had not said anything so far about the way people’s rights to good health must be enjoyed without discrimination .
He said the WHO constitution of 1946 stipulates fundamental health rights that people should have access to and the mentally challenged are equally deemed to have access to these rights, adding that the lock down as announced by government will clamp down on these rights of the mentally challenged people.
He equally drew the attention of WHO to the meaningful participation of non- state actors, wondering that if NGOs which concern is the welfare of mentally challenged are sought , they would have advised that WHO call government attention to providing considerable palliatives for the mentally challenged before the executive order on lockdown is announced by government.
Carrymycross said the lockdown has further exposed mentally challenged people in Nigeria to avoidable stigmatization as they are left without any welfare safety net to roam the street and making them susceptible to contracting the Coronavirus.
Carrymycross therefore called on the good office of the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedas Adhanom Ghebreyesus to quickly come to the rescue of the mentally challenged in Nigeria before they are decimated by the ravaging coronavirus, stressing that health policy programmes must prioritize the needs of those furthest behind first towards greater equity, a principle, the NGO noted has been echoed in the recently adopted 2030 agenda for sustainable Development and Universal Health Coverage (1).
” The rights to health must be enjoyed without discrimination on the grounds of race , age , ethnicity or any other status,” Ogunsanmi stated in the carrymycross petition to WHO.
The NGO prayed World Health Organization to act quickly on the plight of the mentally challenged in Nigeria as the lock down , exposing the mentally challenged to grave danger of infection of covid 19, has been fully activated in Nigeria.
