EXECUTIVE Director of Mirembe National Mental Health Hospital (MNMH), Dr Paul Lawala has said the hospital has currently put much focus on community education on mental health issues in the country, rather than waiting for patients to seek help.

Dr Lawala made the remarks on Thursday here during a press briefing, following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the hospital and   Vanessa Amada Foundation.

The MOU aims to strengthen collaborative efforts to ensure that quality mental health services are accessible to young people and children. 

Dr Lawala explained that, over the past two years, the hospital has prioritised investing more in education rather than waiting for people to fall ill.

“We have realised it is essential to engage   healthy community on the issue of mental health, rather than focusing solely on the illness, as it has been very challenging to reach people due to the prevailing societal conditions,” Dr Lawala said.

He further added that the community still lacks sufficient awareness about mental health issues, and there is a significant stigma surrounding it. He believes that with the right education, people will begin to understand and address the issue in   constructive manner.

He emphasised that if the public becomes better informed about mental health, it would encourage individuals to seek help earlier. 

“Currently, people are not coming forward due to lack of information on where to go for help or because of the stigma still prevalent in our society,” he said.

Vanessa Amada, director of Vanessa Amada Foundation expressed gratitude for the collaboration, noting that it would help drive positive changes in the community. 

“We are deeply grateful to Mirembe hospital for their excellent cooperation, which has been a key pillar of our work since we started,” she said.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), over 10 percent of young people worldwide face mental health challenges, with many lacking early professional intervention. 

In Tanzania, the challenges have been exacerbated by stress, substance abuse, difficult living conditions, and the stigma surrounding mental health issues.

The Vanessa Amada Foundation has been working closely with Mirembe hospital and the Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) to provide solutions to the  challenges. 

She said the Foundation’s efforts have reached over 3,000 young people from three universities and three secondary schools in the Dodoma Region through their AKILI+ programme in recent months.