Senegal mental health advocates call for increased support and inclusion

In Senegal, various stakeholders are mobilizing to address mental health challenges following World Mental Health Day. In the Kolda region, a community hike was organized through a collaboration between Enda Jeunesse Action, the Regional Development Committee (CRD), and the Academy Inspection. The initiative aimed to break taboos and emphasize the importance of psychological well-being for youth, particularly within the educational system, to ensure academic success.

Separately, Ansoumana Dione, president of the Senegalese Association for the Monitoring and Assistance of Mentally Ill People (ASSAMM), has criticized the exclusion of grassroots actors from official commemorations. Dione has called on President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to collaborate with mental health advocates to address systemic issues. His proposals include establishing a national care program, ensuring the availability of psychotropic medications, and creating specialized facilities for mentally ill detainees at the Thiaroye psychiatric hospital.