Combatting stigmas on mental health by film in DRC

MSM in partnership with Living Peace Institute based in Goma, DRC - trained 300 doctors, nurses and community workers in 18 health centers affiliated with Le Centre Hospitalier Neuropsychiatrique de Goma (CHNP) in North-Kivu in a Tailor-Made-Training+ project from NUFFIC. The main objective of this project is the training of providers of mental health care and psychosocial support, and health and sexual and reproductive rights.

This TMT+ project also produces two films. The aim of the film is to combat stigma associated with mental health, to improve access to mental health services and psychosocial support, and to health and sexual and reproductive rights.

One film concerns an instructional video where medical staff is shown how to discuss difficult situations concerning mental and sexual health problems with their patients. Due to many taboos round mental and sexual health it is often very difficult to get to the bottom of the real issues underlying the symptoms that a patient is displaying. The film serves as a teaching instrument.

The second concerns an awareness video for the community where important messages are being shared about mental and sexual health. Examples are:
Manifestations such as sadness, anger, fear, insomnia, headaches, isolation, etc. are normal reactions after exposure to painful events such as a volcanic eruption, family conflicts, loss of a loved one and war. Do not hide your emotions because that may have negative consequences for your good mental health. Problems related to sexual health such as decreased or absent sexual desire, premature or delayed ejaculation, sexual impotence, frigidity, sterility, can create serious concerns for women and men and are often the basis of violence within couples. For all of these problems, health care providers are there to listen, give advice and guide you to appropriate care.

The two films are made by Mobile Cinema Foundation, see https://mobilecinemafoundation.com/.

For more information about this Tailor-Made-Training contact Dr. Astrid ter Wiel.

Orange Knowledge Programme
This Tailor-Made-Training are part of the Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP) which is funded by the Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and managed by Nuffic. For more information click here.

MSM's Expert Center for Emerging Economies

This project is part of MSM’s Expert Center for Emerging Economies. The department is an is an expert centre on local economic development in emerging and developing markets.​ We capacitate managers and professionals from government, private sector, NGOs, and post-secondary education in Africa, Asia, Middle East, and Latin America. We offer consultancy and customized training programs, and we manage complex projects in key sectors, e.g. water, agriculture and health. For more information click here.

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