Erucall News Media

Dear readers,

I will like to extend my apologies for delays in updating the site. I am working on the formalities of establishing an NGO in Kenya which is consuming the better part of my time.

As things slow down I will resume daily publishing of Erucall.

Below is a summary of what the NGO is all about.

Thank you for the support and confidence.

Editor

Jeff Makana

Kenya

Kenya has little provision for mental health; the government only spends 0.01% of its health budget on mental health.

Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.

Mindfreedom Kenya is a local affiliate of MindFreedom International working in the field of mental health. The organization was set up to improve the mental health and lives of sufferers and survivors in Kenya. The organization also seeks to develop and facilitate the provision of rehabilitative schemes that would ease the re-integration of the mentally ill into the society.

Mindfreedom Kenya aim is to influence policy and planning, and to encourage improvements in the management and delivery of mental health services.

· Policy makers acknowledging the need and strongly pursuing mental health policies that positively impact their constituents and calling for revision of existing mental policies to match today’s complex and changing mental health care.

· Leaders in health profession, professional associations, mental health boards and health care companies to take a leading role in initiatives that increase access, quality and equity. On the same note, they must be able to establish a mental health advisory council independent from government that works collaboratively with policy makers. This mental health advisory council will create a mental health reform blueprints with support and input from both public and private health care sectors. The mental health advisory council along and/with sponsoring policy makers will ensure that such mental health policies are passed, implemented and delivered.

· Human Right organizations must recognize equity, access and quality of mental health care is a basic human right and they must take initiatives that will harness just distribution, fair and favorable policies and practically implementable mental health rights processes.

· Humanitarian Organizations involved in health care, WHO (World Health Org.) and UN (United Nations) to continue supporting mental health locally made policies and initiatives that are practical to the social realities of the people who need equal representation against abuses within the mental health system.

Jeff Makana, Director MindFreedom Kenya

Secretary-General ITU Hamadoun I. Touré “The key to the information society is universal access. Everyone must have equal opportunity to participate in the digital age. And no one should be denied the potential benefits of new information and communication technologies (ICT), not least because they are hampered by their disabilities”

Secretary-General, UN Ban Ki-moon “It is vital that we change attitudes and approaches to persons with disabilities, ensuring that all fundamental rights and freedoms are honoured, including the right to fully participate in the information society, and bring forth input, ideas and effort from the disability community”