way since official record keeping began, the yangtze river shrank to its lowest level in more than a 155 years. in contrast, south korea's capital was lashed by the heaviest rains in more than a century. during august, september blowing, one of the most powerful stores japan had ever seen at the philippines will never forget the force of typhoon noro, which escalated from a category one storm to a category 5 in just 6 hours across the pacific hurricane he and pamela, florida, at least a 114 people died more than in any hurricane since katrina, drought batter's california swelter in september as death valley recorded the earth's hottest day with the mercury hitting 53 degrees celsius. in africa, nigeria saw the worst floods in more than the decade. and by the end of the year, se australia was in the midst of its 4th major flooding event. with sidney, having a sweaty steer on record,

the world miss roger can organization's says the tell tale signs and impacts of climate change by becoming more dramatic and we greenhouse gas is continuing to rise. after reaching record levels last year, the frequency and force of severe weather events are expected to be even more extreme in the future. ah. and let's take you through some of the headlines here. now da 0 now on kong is lifting almost all his remaining cov 19 restrictions. it'll cancel social distancing rules, quarantines and p. c. r tests for arrivals. the changes will take effect on thursday. set to reopen. it's borders with mainland china next month. florence louis has more from hong kong, hong kong leader, john lee said that he is confident that hong kong will be able to cope. and he gave several reasons for this. one is the relatively high vaccination rate in hong kong

. and he also said that am because 2 and a half 1000000 people here have already got coverage. there is a sufficient immunity barrier that will protect people in hong kong. he also talked about how health care workers in hong kong will now now have the experience in dealing with an epidemic. and he also said that the city has enough medicine to deal with any potential outbreak. ukraine says russian forces of shell, the maternity ward in the city of cub song, which it reclaimed last month. elsewhere. ukraine's birch tree resumed its counter offensive in the eastern region of landscape. to launch cities, there are still on the russian control authorities and cause of irv release to form a police officer who's arrest earlier this month, hyphen tensions between the christina gov with the ethnic sir minority protests as have been blocking roads in northern kosovo, demanding his release now he's been placed on the house arrest the theo,

p and airlines fly this carrying passengers from addis ababa to northern t drive for the 1st time in 18 months. fear line suspended the route during the conflict between government forces and rebels. at the 2 sides did sign a ceasefire agreement in november. bose, i had lines. the news continues here now to sierra after the stream stay with us. we understand the differences and similarities have cultures across the world. so no matter how you take it out there, we're bringing the news and current affairs that matter to you countess era. ah, welcome to the stream. um josh rushing, sitting in for me. okay. the world health organization is leading

a public awareness campaign aimed at tackling high rates of death by suicide across africa. and it's urgent governments across the continent to do more for people in crisis. so today we ask, why is there a mental health emergency in africa? hey, look, if you're watching this on youtube, seattle box like right there. we have a live stream producer waiting, get your questions and comments to me. so i can get him to our expert turn the show . so let's do this together and it's really important show today i can use your help, but i want to warn you, we're going to be talking about some sensitive issues that include mental health and death by suicide. ah, joining us to discuss the mental health crisis across africa, avi away for non. he is a senior officer at united for global mental health. she is in cape town, south africa, liska cosa, is founder at mind. lab africa, mental health care,

non profit. she joins us from kampala, uganda, and from jose nigeria, we have ruth tilley kado. she is a journalist and a mental health advocate. alright, avi way, i'd like to begin with you. and so you're sitting in south africa and yeah, 6 of the 10 countries in the world that had the highest suicide rates are in sub saharan africa. but 3 of those countries are actually within the borders of south africa. so i'm just, i want to ask you what's going on there, what's happening with mental health in south africa? so yeah, as you said, we definitely have a mental health crisis in south africa. the biggest challenge is that we have a challenge of avoidance. we don't have the right policies, and there's still quite a lot of stigma when it comes to mental health challenges and mental health as

a whole. and we have 23 suicide deaths in south africa every day. and then $460.00 attempts of suicide deaths in south africa every single day. so at the moment it really is a crisis that we're in and we don't have enough services as a country. there's a 93 percent treatment gap. so it means that the number of people that need access to care and the people that receive care, i'm not enough. we don't have enough services. a mental health policy lapse in 2020 and it has not yet been updated. many of the mental health service workers a not trained enough to serve the people that are in their communities. and so that really leaves us in a space where we are constantly being reactive to the mental health crisis. and not necessarily being preventative towards positive mental health. whether you want to try to do this campaign, i want to bring her doctor joseph. uh boring is the director for program management

. that the who, here's what he has to say about this. millions of people, needy care do not have access to services with encrypted conditions leading to staggering debussy, fish and such a disability substance abuse and even suicide ended and africa therapy come as john, as the highest 3 top suicide globally, iran 11 out of 100000 people die by suicide every year, and it is above global average of 98100000 people. so liz, he's talking about the suicide rights there and added to me. suicides in this issue are the canary in the coal mine, but they're also kind of the tip of the iceberg of a mental health crisis. i don't know if we need to focus as much necessarily on

suicide as why those numbers are so high and that's kind of the broader mental health crisis. now you're in, you god, you're joining us in the middle of a power outage. is that right? in uganda? you got about a 1000000 chance in the air of kampala so you, i think we have a delay that that's okay. i'll be patient has my question, but in uganda you have a one and 1000000 chance of meeting a psychiatrist. meaning, for every 1000000 people that live there, you have one psychiatrist, but as long as you're in a power outage right now, how does the country, i guess tree out what they need to address here? do they address, getting you more steady electricity, or do they address? getting more psychiatrist. i thank you for your question. if you restrict the question by all the force would be to get more electricity rate. we've not, but it's

a point where we take mental health very, very seriously. like you've been for population of 4546000000. definitely. once i graduate. yes. and it's very disheartening. you know, we couldn't go, we couldn't blame all of our african mental health challenges, we can say, or there's a lack of awareness live, but they are people on ground doing that that work, right? that's what we do. that's what i really does rate, but we have, we have a policy that we have an access gap, right? so it's not just enough to say it is nor when it or to blame it on stigma. but we need to ask ourselves at that particular question where, what are we doing to address it? what action are we taking to address the mental health crisis and i'll tell you, feel free, we aren't doing enough. okay. does. if i me diverse, i'm coming to you, i'm coming to you and you're here in my area. actually want to set you up with

a bit of a package from out to 0 reporter mohammed address. he did this, he was showing kind of children who have been in boca rom camps and they're receiving this kind of psychological support. after the camps, it was run this clip born and raised quarter i'm camps these children are experiencing for the 1st time. what it means to be a child. oh, they're part of the 6000 victims and family members of bull caught on fighters who send it to nigerians to georgia forces in the past few months. after a few weeks of psychological support. those helping them are surprised by the rapid trustful mission. they see you see a lot of them coming into the safe space looking very distress thinking hungry. what alpha weeks of engagement. oh, because me and it's been a whole theme on some time depending on how we see there wasn't a b, c and all of that. so we offer the engagement, you see a lot of changes,

you see them interacting better. you see them taking leadership role to see them doing for much better. so ruth, watching this clip, it seems kind of promising. actually it seems, is there a lot of children who are getting the psychological support that they might need? is that common in nigeria is that is that the situation there where you are? ok, thank you very much. just thank you for having me on the show. so like lee said, well, also my jury to charlie is not necessarily that we don't have the doctor's or there was a lack of awareness that challenge mostly is the fact that we have a silent culture, a culture where something just a couple you can talk about and so what's in the video, you know, it is really hopeful, i'm excited to see because nigeria and know they know that you know, this young people need this interventions. it will people who are just kidnapped by

vocal her, or bandy, need these interventions because when they come back into the society, i tell you you're not the same people. you're not the same people who come back into society and it's difficult for them to acclimatize. so they also need this psychological health intervention is such a way that you know, they can come back and be normal people because what they see in dose, bushes is, know what normal people should go through. and so yeah, there is a lot of intervention now. there is a lot about when that's the challenge is the idea of the silent cultural where, you know, we don't want to talk about mental issues. nobody wants to identify as having mental issues. and i think you're hitting a chord for list here because and uganda. the word suicide, right? i guess the word suicide itself is terrible. yeah. and the act of it is actually get criminalized. i don't even understand how that plays out. do you touch on the yes so yes, suicide is criminalized. it's it's,

it's no friends. i'm and it never made sense to me because what do you do when someone days from so they say, you know, do you try and do, what do you charge them with? it's never made sense to me. and this is, i was actually one of the issues that were highlighted during while suicide prevention day last month. and so yes, there is still a lot of stigma around the web suicide. it's not easy to say is speak about in public. i mean, as a suicide and so right, it's a part of my story that i often omit when i am doing my work around awareness and advocacy work around around mental health. so we are, we are also living in sort of a, you know, silent culture. it's very taboo even from you know, a cultural perspective. if someone died from suicide, they don't receive

a proper burial over the past year. i know people close to me that have died from suicide or, you know, and loved ones of people close to me. and that has been that, that instant that has been the situation. right. so i still need, we have a very long way to go in terms of getting people to, of addressing. and, you know, understanding this over addressing the stigma around suicide. and i keep saying it is our inability to talk about suicide. that in the longer i was is more suicides. rates are here. are you tube audience? and let me tell you something. if you don't know much about the world youtube comments, it's not a place where there's a lot of gratitude and positivity, but we actually are getting a lot of gratitude for talking about this today. so maybe people are tired of it being taboo and other. let me throw a couple of comments, were actually getting on twitter and from you tube here. this is from someone in

the real should banassi trev viddy. they said the stigma surrounding mental illness in africa is so bad is now become denial. it's easy to jump to conclusions such as witchcraft. people replace prescription were prayer, when things turn to work, they say god's will. he goes on to say, a priest, a pastor, a shake, a clan elder is more trusted than a medical doctor or psychiatrist, a patient refusing prescription from a doctor in favor of rituals. pisses me off because it's suicide. bait this business in which integrity is obsolete. sad individuals are unaware why he had a lot to say, but anyway, can you pick up on that? oh, yeah, definitely it's. it's something that i think in every african culture, regardless of where you are, it's the same thing. culture and religion are imbedded in african to everyday life of africans and with mental health. i think what exasperate the crisis apart from the style and culture is that immediately when people are showing

signs off going into a depressive episode, or if they communicate even feeling suicidal. immediately there really gave it to the background. they told that they need to half an up culturally they had told, i know in south africa it's usually associated with an ancestral calling. so what people call plaza and you're meant to go and go into initiation for true being a traditional healer. or if you need to go for prayer, so all these different elements of what it is in terms of african culture to be viewed as experiencing a mental illness. but again, as often opportunity. i think with all of that there's always an opportunity. so now it's coming back to how do we actually look at the different systems and societies were functioning in and actually develop programs that work. so integrating more community based services is something that i advocates for locked

an african society because sitting across a psychiatrist. so it's hard to just immediately the world, the app, there is a level of guardedness, there's a level of holding back and, and already there's just so much taboos fitting within a person. and i think if we bring in elements of community, because community, something that is so important to africans, that in actually when we integrate mental health services, it's important for us to also remember what is culturally appropriate. what can work for people that are operating in the societies and they can just adam the element of mental while be, know we have, if i may jump in. okay, so if i, hey, you know, my great aunt actually committed suicide. so i'm married now, but if my husband's family knew that so money, my lineage had committed suicide, it would not touch me within long spawn. and that is amazing because i just got to know there's, like 3 years ago,

i was stuck into my mom. i don't know if she intended to tell me and you know, she just put it out there and i'm like what, what, what did you say? and, you know, she goes on tells me the story. but then now i'm happy that you know, several years down the line, we can sit down and talk about this so that people know that even if someone in your family has committed suicide or someone, you know, a loved one has told me that some site that stigmatization has to stop, because if we don't stop this stigmatization, then people will not be willing to come out and talk about the a mental health situation. you know, like you said, joshua alia there was a lot that leads to suicide. he will not sneak last trauma trauma could biondo. i'm going to depression and but here even asked me to us trauma, we don't pay attention to. he someone says, i am trauma nice and everyone laughed and he's like, really traumatized dramatize because of was, you know, so these are some discussions that we need to, you know, talk about more openly, sort of people know that didn't need to get help when be

a feeling mentally pressed, you know, ruth, i wonder if we didn't do you a bit of a disservice by showing that clip from boca harass with the children because they represent a very extreme example. i think most people would agree might need some psychological help, but really the problems much more broad is much more ubiquitous and is much more common than someone who's been something as extreme as growing up in a book or her arm camp. right. i mean, it's like we all deal with it. right? yes, we do. absolutely. and i would say that in a geri air, for in la la as it it, we don't necessarily have to be in the book of her. i'm come to feel the pressure. because with everything going around, we feel like so many things are not work in. so we almost feel like everyone is sort of like india, you know, book or her. i'm calm sort of way because we are so mentally pressure you're, you're trying to get just the littlest thing to work like does good health service

care you can afford that. you know, board non people can afford food. so that was a lot of pressure on people. so these are the things that, you know, cumulate into all of you know, so side and you know, the bigger things that we're talking about now. but they're reese in nigeria. they're rees, a lot of mental pressure. and like, you know, what, over it affects the men more than the women because most men don't like to talk about their mental issues in a lower rate. right. and why did you said that? because we actually have a, we can come back. i know you had more to say there, but we have a video comment from someone in the stream community. they sent us into us. the name is eddie kamani. they're about as far away in the cotton as i get from you there and kenya on the other side. and he is a mental health awareness advocate here at chuck this up. but she's the best possible mental health. i wish to share my pass. my journey have landed. i do, you cannot ignore you wish once over manian 40th class on this off. as for africa

and mental health, i believe that governments and institutions and workspaces should fund more mental health programs. the solution lies in integrating mental health within the overall health care system and workspaces. and as africans, as individuals, out like us to suit mental health. more from just being a conversation to action, where we can start doing things and embracing our wellness and fighting the stigma that surrounds mental health. so wrote, there's a man talking about the stigma and talking about his own mental health journey. what do you think about that and africa? man, i know that he's very impressive. very, very impressive. i call an old man, especially those in jerry. yeah. when you have issues, you know what happens back home. when most men have mental health issues be the result of drinking. they become a colleague. that the way they take out their mental health issues. they just drink the tuple and come back home and sleep or come back home, you know,

in both get involved in what devices of domestic violence and things like that. that is what they do. so if an african man can talk about it, i think that now is the time for all men to come up and say, look, i am depressed, i have had issues may be in my office, i have fragile here on deck. i am utterly depressed and i need to know now is the time to talk about this because it is only a healthy person that can be helpful to see that a kamani they're saying in your praises here on the stream lesson. was that josh? yeah, yeah, yeah, go for it, i'll be way go for it. and so with was just going back to the bulk of her am cams and whacks and ruth had mentioned. so there's something called toxic stress if you're constantly exposed. am to stressful situation. adverse experiences that actually increases your threshold of experiencing what we call toxic stress. that means that in the long term that increases your risk of mental illness increases the chances of suicidality increases. chances of anxiety am at risk behavior. so

with all of that, it means that the preventative mental health measures are very important here. so it's important for us to treat mental illness and also provide safe spaces for when people are suicidal. but i really believe from a young age that we need to put in preventative, mental health measures. in other words, we teach people how to find safe spaces and communicate their feelings. teach people how to be able to become self resilient, how to calm themselves down. i know right now self, kay is like the buzzword, but at the end of the day, that is a part of being mentally well. and the reality is we all have mental health. it's not just mental illness, but mental health as a whole is a spectrum. so every one of us sitting here have mental health that how do we maintain positive mental health? how do we take care of our minutes or half? it's like brushing your teeth every day. do something every day that contributes

towards a positive mental well b. mirsky. pick up on her i'm yes, i'll just quickly go back to what ruth shared about, you know, addressing men's mental health. so what we've noticed, what we've observed over the years is generally in the health care system. women have better health seeking behavior than men. so even if it was something like a cold or during cove, they'd that woman is more likely to seek out. i treatment and health health care. i'm yeah, treatment of some kind am which isn't the same for men. however, addressing mental health and mental health challenges amongst men, what we've discovered, what we've seen locally is it's important for us to consider rich reaching men where they are. yes they have, they, they suffer more from, you know, they are more from depression, suicide rates are a high among men. so they are the most bull bull when it comes to these con,

busy sions that help them. how do we ensure that, you know, they have this covers, you're breaking up your worst and want to me it. i know it if it find them. oh there says ruth, one of the things i read was the, then we look at the suicide numbers, but they represent a successful suicide temple, represent one and 20 of people who actually attempted it. meaning the problem is much drive 20 times larger than what the actual numbers say. can we use the last few minutes of the show here? if everyone has some tips on what you would advise people who do, who might find themselves in the mental health crisis route the, do you have some tough like that that, that the you could share? yes, i think the 1st one would be, i think, your josha da, sorry. i think the 1st step would be that b are where than there really a mental health be. are way you must be aware. you know, we're very easy to seek health when we have like a headache. we have malaria back in west africa and people just go to the hospital

. so when you have you filled out mental pressure, it could be as little as just feeling traumatized about something or just feeling depressed about some issues. please go and seek help, don't wait until it becomes b. so be a way to be very aware that there was something called mental health and it could affect your project, cbc ari. loza don't do it. it's all rude, says be aware and seek help was do you have some tips for people? and there are people in our youtube right now talking about their challenges i, what i would say is, and it's okay not to be okay. and it's the act that acknowledgement, preston, 1st of all that eventually leads you to i'm will lead you to, to, to seek the support that she'd need. so it's important to be mindful and saves. okay. it's okay, not to be okay. the same well have a headache or lou is at the same way i need to address, you know, and whatever mental health challenge are going through at the time,

i'm avi way. or what are you got force just to follow on the ladies again identifying your feelings is very important, but also reaching out to 24 hour suicide help lines. i know there are quite a few in africa here in south africa. we have the south african depression, and anxiety group is a 24 hour helpline in terms of suicide. and you can call them and speak to someone . it's an anonymous line. and then also reaching out to community groups that work with people that are meeting mental health services. so really just taking those steps, even chantel steps of speaking to someone that you trust. yeah. and that, that is my, my main encouragement. all right, so that's i think that's where we're gonna end it today. i want to take all 3 of my guest abi way liz. ruth, for be more to come on and talk about something that is taboo, but is even more important. and if you're out there and you need help, i promise there are people that want to help you. there are crises lines that you

can get to. so that's all we have time for today. but you can always find us online at stream. got al jazeera dot com take care of yourself, right. thanks for watching. ah . january analogy 0. almost a decade after joining the e. u croatia. adults, the euro, despite fears, it could lead to price increases and already tough economic times immersive personal short documentaries,

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