Kenya to increase public investment in mental health, Medical Services Minister says

"Kenyans marked the World Mental Health Day Monday with a pledge to increase public investments in the treatment of mental illnesses, which affects at least 10 million people in the East African nation," Afrique en ligne reports, adding, "Kenya's Medical Services Minister Anyang Nyong'o said estimates show that at least one in every four Kenyans suffer from one form of mental-health related ailment."

"Nyong'o said the government was planning to reconstruct the country's national mental health hospital, but still lacked adequate financial resources to complete the project" and that "the project could be funded through direct government allocations," according to the news service. "The country's medical services ministry is also proposing the building up of at least four other medical facilities to address the growing risk of mental illnesses," the news service adds (Pana, 10/11).