The recent crackdown and recall of illicit alcohol products could contribute to efforts to improve mental health among vulnerable communities, mental health practitioners have said.
However, they noted that enforcement should be accompanied by prevention, public education, psychosocial support and services for people struggling with substance use.
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They made the comments this week in Kigali during an event organised by the National Union of Disability Organisations of Rwanda (NUDOR) and Impanuro Girls Initiative to equip trainers with stress-management skills that they will later pass on to vulnerable communities.
Emile Cadet Vuningabo, Head of Programmes at NUDOR, said reducing access to harmful products could help address some factors linked to mental health and sexual and reproductive health challenges.
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"Alcohol misuse can increase vulnerability to mental health challenges and can also contribute to risky sexual behaviour, gender-based violence and sexual violence,” he said.
Dr Chaste Uwihoreye, a mental health lecturer, said Ministry of Health data shows that 18 per cent of Rwandans have at least one symptom of a mental health problem.
"Drug and alcohol use are among the main drivers of mental health problems,” he said, adding that research conducted in 2018 found that 12 per cent of Rwandans experienced stress.
He said the training-of-trainers approach would help extend support to vulnerable communities.
"The crackdown on illicit alcohol will contribute a lot to mental health promotion. You cannot keep someone to dry while they are standing in the rain; similarly, it is difficult to protect someone's mental health while they continue using harmful substances,” he said.
Nawali Nsengiyumva, Acting Executive Director of Impanuro Girls Initiative, said many young people they work with have experienced difficult situations that cause them to withdraw from others.
She said the trainers would help young people develop ways of dealing with stress arising from different challenges, including disability and HIV.
"We want the young people we serve to heal and, in turn, empower their communities,” she said.