New Partnership Targets Mental Healthcare Gaps In Enugu

By DIANA CHUKWUKA

EFFORTS to improve mental healthcare access in Nigeria received a boost on Monday as the Cope and Live Mental Health Awareness Foundation and the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Enugu.

The agreement, anchored on the “Total Care Mind and Body Initiative,” seeks to deliver integrated mental and physical health services, particularly to underserved communities. CALMHAF’s Founder and Executive Director, Rev. Chukwudiebube Nwachukwu, said the initiative encourages early help-seeking behaviour and preventive care, which can reduce mental health emergencies and associated medical costs.

According to Nwachukwu, the partnership will bring mental health services closer to communities through joint outreach programmes, stigma reduction campaigns and free or subsidised screenings. He said the initiative would also equip healthcare providers with the tools needed to routinely assess mental health issues and improve treatment outcomes.

UNTH Foundation CEO, Prof. Theresa Nwagha, described the partnership as transformative, noting that mental wellbeing is a critical component of overall health. She said the collaboration aligns with the foundation’s expanding mission to address emotional and psychological wellbeing and could serve as a model for similar partnerships across the South-East and beyond.