World Health Day 2017: Depression, Let’s Talk
7th of April every year is global health awareness day termed World Health Day under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization. The significance of the World Health Day is aimed at highlighting various health issues affecting humans and how to overcome them. This year’s event is tagged Depression: Let’s Talk.
Depression is a state of being low characterized by feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, severe despondency and anxiety. This condition affects people of all ages, from all walks of life, in all countries. It impacts on people’s ability to carry out everyday tasks, with consequences for families, friends, and even communities, workplaces, and health care systems. Depression is undoubtedly one of the leading causes of ill health and disability worldwide; at worst depression can lead to self-inflicted injury and suicide.
With regards to health, most people are only concerned with physical health. Not much importance is given to mental health especially in a country like Nigeria where not many people understand depression and others are confused; these people can’t seem to understand why they feel down and blue all the time, so they chug it down to mood swings. An average Nigerian doesn’t get depressed, we make hilarious memes out of issues, hash tag it, laugh over it and say “It is well”.
But the reality is millions of Nigerians and people all over the world are battling with clinical depression, a good number of them are suffering in silence too, as they have no one to talk to because most people do not understand. But depression is real and it is different from the occasional mood fluctuations and feeling of sadness brought about by reaction to life events such as bereavement.
This year’s World Health Day is aimed at establishing a better understanding of depression. WHO has rolled out a one year campaign to get people around the world to talk about the disease which can be prevented and treated. Everybody has a role to play. If we show empathy and compassion of people’s pain and emotions, it will help reduce the stigma associated with the illness and more people will come out to seek help in order to enable them live full and productive lives.
