The Advisor for Non-communicable Diseases, Injuries, and Mental Health at AfricaCDC, Dr. Naeem Dalal, emphasizes the importance of challenging cultural stereotypes that hinder African men from seeking assistance for emotional and mental well-being.
Dalal discussed the importance of addressing cultural stereotypes hindering African men from seeking emotional and mental health support during an interview with newsmen in Lusaka, Zambia. This conversation occurred on the sidelines of a parallel session on Youth Mental Health in Africa at Tuesday’s International Conference on Public Health in Africa.
The CPHIA, an annual event organized by the Africa Centres for Diseases Control and Prevention, hosted its 2023 edition through the efforts of the Government of Zambia.
Highlighting the urgency of challenging cultural stereotypes, Dalal pointed out that statistics reveal a higher incidence of suicide among men on the African continent.
Dalal, a Psychiatrist based in Lusaka, Zambia, specializes in youth mental health and currently serves as the National Mental Health focal person and specialist for the Zambia National Public Health Institute.
He said, “There is more active suicide amongst men.”
“When we talk about suicide, we need to understand two things. There’s suicide which is passive and suicide, which is active.”
“Active suicide is where you die by suicide.”
“Passive suicide is where you have thoughts of dying by killing yourself or harming yourself, but you don’t go ahead with those thoughts. So, that’s passive suicide.”
“Now, when we talk about statistics specifically for men on the continent in Africa, more men die by suicide.”
“So, there’s more active suicide amongst men. For every 50 percent of it, it is amongst the men that die and this is because men use more lethal with dying.’’
Dalal highlighted some reasons that make men resort to suicide rather than seek help.
“It’s also important to understand that men do not reach out for help for mental health concerns or issues that they face because of the culture that we have in Africa, where men are supposed to be supportive.”
“Men are supposed to be responsible and breadwinners in communities. Showing that part of vulnerability is not something that is accepted in our communities across the African continent in general.”
“And not just to stereotype it, but also to be factual that men are also taught not to be reaching out for help growing up as boys and boys are told to be strong and responsible.”
“So, this also causes an issue for men to reach out for mental health services, even when they are there.”
“These are the challenges we are facing,’’ he told NAN.
Dalal proffered some solutions aimed at reducing suicide on the continent.
“However, the solutions and the implementations that Africa CDC is currently carrying out is in the non-communicable diseases, injuries and mental health strategy.”
“They have flagship programs that are looking at mental health advocacy for communities, looking also at men’s health.”
“But in addition, there are also mental health fellowships that are coming up, where they will build capacity amongst healthcare workers to also seek mental health as a profession.”
“This is because the other challenge is in Africa; healthcare workers do not want to do mental health specialty.”
“These are the implementations that we are carrying out.”
“We are also promoting more advocacy amongst the younger generation because the third leading cause of death by suicide is from the ages of 15 to 29.’’
According to Dalal, a lot of advocacy is ongoing, especially by the Africa CDC through the African Union.
“We are also advocating policy changes, where we make mental health applicable to the current realities that we are living,” he said.
He commended Nigeria for recently passing a bill on mental health.
The CPHIA2023 has the theme, “Breaking Barriers: Repositioning Africa in the Global Health Architecture.’’