Psychiatry for Primary Health Care in Uganda

Untreated mental illnesses impair the social and economic lives of affected individuals significantly. In the eyes of the public in Uganda any individual who suffers from mental illness is not expected to regain his/her normal senses and return to normality. Contrary to this widely held belief, however, people have adequately recovered from severe mental illness and regained good productive lives after receiving proper treatment. This book has been written to foster quality health care and a good quality of life for the mentally ill in Uganda. The government of Uganda has fully integrated mental health in the national minimum health care package at all health units; with the result that every health care provider will care for one mentally ill patient at least once a month. The requirements of both the mental health care provider and the general health care provider in Uganda are covered. Emilio Ovuga is Professor of Psychiatry at Makerere University. Dr Ovuga has experience on psychological and social effects of river blindness, suicide and HIV/AIDS and school mental health in Uganda.