Gov’t lost shs137bn on mental illness treatment

By Juliet Nalwooga

The Executive Director, Butabika National Referral Hospital, Juliet Nakku has revealed that last year in 2021 government spent shs137 billion on treatment of mental illness patients.

She says this is part of the over shs900bn lost across the country in the other initiatives related to the same.

While addressing delegates at the launch of a Uganda national mental health conference in Bugolobi, Nakku noted that the Covid pandemic increased the mental health illness prevalence rate to between 28-30% up from 5-15% before covid.

Nakku also noted that the mental illness problem is still a challenge because 85% of the people who need professional help DO NOT get it and only 15% access proper medication.

Nakku says if not addressed, by 2030 mental illness will be the biggest cause of disability and injury across the country.

A report recently indicated that 14 million Ugandans have a mental illness and the Butabika National Referral Hospital head says the number could be bigger.

Written by Noelyn Nassuuna