A psychiatric specialist, Dr Christopher Piwuna, has advocated access to affordable mental healthcare services and adequate personnel as panacea to managing mental disorders in Nigeria.

Piwuna, who is the Chairman, Committee on Mental Health Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.

The expert explained that unless the citizens had access to affordable healthcare services as provided for by the Universal Health Coverage (UHC), the problem would persist.

He decried the uneven distribution of health facilities in the country, noting the predominance of health facilities in city centres, while most rural areas are neglected.

“The major challenge in managing mental health disorder is lack of access to affordable healthcare services and this can only be achieved through the implementation of the UHC.

“Considering the high cost of healthcare to millions of Nigerians, UHC offers us all, particularly, people with mental health challenges, access to affordable healthcare services.

“Government at all levels as well as private sector must embrace UHC as a creed of health for all and not only the professionals,’’ he said.

According to him, the NMA envisaged a country where issues of poverty, social justice, provision of packages of basic healthcare and other social services will leave no one behind.

“Whether rich or poor, urban or rural residents, public or private employees and artisans, should have affordable healthcare,’’ Piwuna said.

The medical expert further noted that Nigeria has a ratio of one psychiatrist to more than one million people as against one to 100,000 in developed countries.