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Ten percent of Zimbabweans mentally sick, says minister
Tsungai Murandu, ZimOnline
June 16, 2007

http://www.zimonline.co.za/Article.aspx?ArticleId=1527

Harare - At least 10 percent of Zimbabweans suffer from mental health problems, according to the country's health ministry. Health and Child Welfare Minister David Parirenyatwa said cases of mental health problems were on the rise in the country and that the government was working towards strengthening the institutional framework to handle the problem. "Statistics show that an estimated 10 percent of the Zimbabwean population suffers from mental health problems which is the reason why the government is in the process of coming up with a new policy on mental health issues. "The prisons service is currently handling 237 psychiatry cases at its prisons throughout the country," said Parirenyatwa. The minister yesterday inaugurated a new Mental Health Review Tribunal in Harare. The tribunal would examine all cases of mental health problems and work towards improvement of conditions for patients suffering from mental conditions. The rising number of mental health problems could be blamed on the deteriorating economic conditions in Zimbabwe, where unemployment is more than 80 percent and the cost of living is escalating.

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