The Ministry of Health inaugurated the National Advisory Committee for the National Baseline Mental Health Survey.
Officials termed the move a landmark initiative that will provide Kenya with its first nationally representative data on mental health conditions.
The committee, chaired by Director General for Health Dr. Patrick Amoth and represented at the launch by Dr. Bashir Issak, Head of Family Health, will provide oversight and strategic direction.
Dr. Issak said the survey addresses a critical gap highlighted by the 2020 Taskforce on Mental Health, which noted the absence of comprehensive national statistics on prevalence, treatment gaps, and socio-economic determinants.
Dr. Amoth noted that while Kenya has a mental health policy, implementation has been constrained by limited resources.
He cited the 2021 Mental Health Investment Case, which stressed the need for targeted funding to expand services and close the treatment gap.
The survey will generate national estimates, establish a baseline for monitoring progress, and inform policy, resource allocation, and service delivery.
In attendance were Director of Health Services Khatra Ali, Head of Mental Health at the Ministry of Health Dr. Mercy Karanja and Prof. Lukoye Atwoli, Dean of the Aga Khan University Medical College, East Africa, among others.
Mental health has been a crisis in the country. This has spiked issues like suicide. Up to three suicide cases are reported daily in the country in a worrying trend.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
