UNFPA Trains Doctors, Social Workers On Mental Health, Psychosocial Support

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) yesterday begun a five-day training of trainers on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) for Gender-Based Violence Survivors (GBVS) amidst COVID-19 and insecurity.
Programme Coordinator and Head of Office, UNFPA Decentralized Office for Northern Nigeria, Ms Mariama Darboe made this known in an interview with newsmen in Kaduna.
Darboe said that the participants consisted of medical doctors, social and frontline workers working directly with GBVS in Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna and Sokoto States.
Others, according to her, are civil society organisations and officials from ministries of health and women affairs from the states.
She explained that the training was part of the series of UNFPA’s interventions to support the states mitigate the impact of COVID-19, especially among the most vulnerable.
“You are all aware of the negative economic and social impact of COVID-19 at the family level: reduced income, increased gender-based violence, domestic violence, child abuse and school dropout.
“This in turn impacted hugely on the mental, health and wellbeing of people, particularly the vulnerable families in communities,” she said.
She said that the training was to build capacity and expertise in the states, to effectively support and work with GBVS that need help, whether in hospitals or in communities.