A two-day National Trauma Symposium ended yesterday with different stakeholders calling on the Government to put in place a national strategy on mental health and healing as one of the lasting solutions to the issue of trauma which continues to be a challenge to many survivors of the Genocide against the Tutsi.

Speaking on a panel on the theme, ‘Healing the Trauma generated by the Genocide against Tutsi - Policy analysis and way forward’, the Executive Director of ‘Never Again Rwanda, Joseph Nkurunziza Ryarasa, said that while major milestones have been made in the mental health sector, including putting in place a national policy, there was need to invest more if what the nation has achieved in the last 25 years is to be sustained.

"Of course there is a policy but there is need for a national strategy on mental health and healing. Just in the same way the Government has invested in malaria, non-communicable diseases, AIDS and Hepatitis,” he said.

Nkurunziza pointed out that there was a lot to thank the Government for.

He explained that, in 1995, the nation needed at least 7,500 psycho-therapists. Today, the country has 1,284.

"We are lucky to be led by strategic thinkers but for the children who were born around the Genocide or after, there are wounds. We need children who are going to inherit the greatness of this country to be healed and not to be victims of trans-generational trauma,” he said.

He also called for a regulatory body so that therapists have laws, procedures and are beneficiaries of capacity building so that quality assurance is guaranteed.

Speaking at the symposium, the president of Rwanda Psychological Society, Dr Vincent Sezibera, also called for a regulatory body saying that it would go a long way in clearing the confusion in the profession. 

"We need to know where to begin, where to stop and the process in between. The body can specify for us for instance how a psychiatrist and psychologist work together, when the psychiatric nurse or even a social worker comes into the whole healing process.

"There is need for specific definitions on the scope of procedures and other things like licensing,” he said.

The Manager of the Mental Health Division Rwanda Biomedical Center Dr Yvonne Kayiteshonga reminded the participants that though the country was not exactly where it wanted to be, commendable progress has been made over the years.

She explained that there was need for parents to nurture healthy minds by giving the young, especially adolescents an opportunity to think for themselves.

"Most health issues begin when most people are still very young, around the adolescence period. Let us stop thinking for them and change the approach and instead ask them what they want. Give them a chance to teach us,” she said.

editor@newtimesrwanda.com