World Mental Health Day commemorated
Today is World Mental Health Day (WMHD) and to mark the day, the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) hosted a memorial event yesterday at the Mental Health Centre (MHCC) of the Windhoek Central Hospital.The celebrations began early with a walk from the MoHSS building on Harvey Street to the MHCC. The 1.5km walk was escorted by the City Police and led by the National Defence Forces (NDF) brass band, who created a buzz at the venue with their tunes that could be heard from miles away.
The event included a series of speeches on topics such as the state of mental health in the workplace, the prevalence of suicide and suicide prevention strategies. Lundbeck, a pharmaceutical company that specialises exclusively in mental disorders, had a booth where visitors could obtain information and brochures about depression and schizophrenia, including self-assessment tools for these mental illnesses.
Visitors could participate in fitness sessions such as yoga presented by the Indian Embassy, as well as Zumba, Pilates and Grid classes led by Virgin Active trainers. Social workers offered a booth with wellbeing screenings and there was a bouncy castle for the little ones.