New York Times: The Chains of Mental Illness in West Africa
“…Every society struggles to care for people with mental illness. In parts of West Africa, where psychiatry is virtually unknown, the chain is often a last resort for desperate families who cannot control a loved one in the grip of psychosis. … According to the World Health Organization, most countries in Africa, if they have a dedicated budget for mental health care at all, devote an average of less than one percent of their health spending to the problem, compared with six to 12 percent in the wealthy countries of the West…” (Carey, 10/11).