Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services, Esther Muinjangue, has called on the Namibians to seek for psycho-social support by professional therapists and social workers when encountering mental health issues.
Muinjangue said this in an interview with Nampa on Wednesday on the sideline of the World Economic Forum, currently underway in Davos, Switzerland.
‘It is ok to feel anxious. It is ok to have fear in a pandemic or in a situation unfamiliar to you, but it is not ok when you do not go and seek professional assistance,’ she said.
The deputy minister participated in a session on the strengthening of healthcare systems in Sub-Saharan Africa, titled ‘As healthcare delivery expands on the continent, many challenges to healthcare systems remain’.
During the session, according to her, the participants also deliberated on the mental health in the post-COVID-19 era.
Muinjangue said that no one wants to talk about being stressed or depressed, however, it is important that people seek professional assistance and undergo counseling and psycho-social therapy in order to minimise the psychological burdens they carry.
‘During the COVID-19 pandemic, families lost their loved ones, children lost parents, while some victims of the virus are still struggling to recover from that trauma. These people needs help and assistance from the professional therapists. People think that that counseling and psycho-social therapy are for those who are weak, which is not the case, as it takes strength to seek support when you realize that things are not right,’ she said.
She called on the Namibians to seek for psycho social support by professional therapists and social workers.
Muinjangue forms part of the Namibian delegation participating at the World Economic Forum (WEF)’s annual meeting, which ends on Thursday.
President Hage Geingob led the Namibian delegation comprised of cabinet ministers and private sectors heads.
While in Davos, Namibians showcased the country’s green hydrogen potential and other identified investment avenues such as infrastructure, transport and logistics, tourism, agriculture as well as oil and gas.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
