Understanding the manifestations of mental health and its challenges as a way of creating awareness in urban slums & schools

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Mbalire Moses
 

Obuyisi bw’Omu Initiative, Uganda

: Int J Ment Health Psychiatry

Abstract

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Obuyisi Bw’omu Initiative is a Community-Based Organization registered and operating in Uganda since 2020. It focuses on Championing mental health and its related issues, implementing water sanitation programs, combating illiteracy, and addressing and finding lasting solutions to reverse the effects of climate change. Why mental health? Mental health refers to our Emotional, Psychological, and Social well-being. Despite the sheer need for mental health support, it's an area that has for long been overlooked. In most cases, mental health has been a result of factors like anxiety, depression, trauma, substance abuse, and chronic diseases, among others. Mental health challenges range from naivety, lack of adequate information, stigma, lack of enough trained mental health experts, and the absence of mental health facilities at various community levels. The above challenges prompted OBI, among other partners, to concentrate on mental health. OBI undertakes sensitization campaigns like “Tukyogereko” (let’s talk about it), introduces the green ribbon movement in schools, and promotes sports for good health to raise awareness of self-love and spirituality to achieve good physical health. Why should OBI participate in the 9th International Conference on Mental Health and Psychiatry? The 9th International Conference on Mental Health and Psychiatry, under the theme "Global Perspectives on Mental Health: Challenges and Solutions," intends to reflect on a collective commitment to advancing mental health and placing it at the forefront of global healthcare agendas. OBI strongly associates itself with this theme and purpose. Therefore, participation will equip OBI participants with the desired knowledge to create an impact in the area of mental health, share their experiences, and learn from the experiences of others, in addition to the knowledge that will be acquired from the facilitators.

Biography

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Mbalire Moses was born on December 23, 1988. He completed his primary education at Outspan Primary School in 2001 and later attended St. Aloysius Secondary School, where he sat for his UCE in 2005. In 2007, he completed his UACE at Kawempe Royal College. Since then, he has navigated life by volunteering with various organizations. In 2020, Moses and his colleagues were driven to start OBI due to the overwhelming injustices they witnessed in their community, particularly in the areas of mental health, education, and the effects of climate change with mental health being our major focus.