Worldwide, people are struggling with mental and physical health issues, but very few people have the advantage of getting the right and timely medication required. Lack of knowledge and information is the leading cause of mental and chronic diseases' development in Africa. People living in low-income societies believe stress and depression are for the wealthy who have properties and businesses to worry about while the wealthy believe they are immune from mental illness, but this is not true. The belief that certain diseases only affect a certain cluster of people in the community leads to ignorance of symptoms which may worsen the condition or even lead to premature death. People are ignorant about their health matters and seem not to be concerned about disease symptoms, prevention, control, or mitigation measures until the disease is full-blown.
Let me ask: If you had a mental health condition or any other disease like cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, or HIV, would you want to know?
It is very important to know instead of going through life ignorantly thinking you are fine. Early diagnosis, treatment, and lifestyle changes can help in ameliorating the condition early, cheaply, and without many complications to your body. It is a good practice to always consult your health provider for answers before using any kind of medication.
Self-health awareness improves your confidence in managing your health condition and decreases chances for chronic diseases development and premature deaths. People are always torn between immediate desires such as smoking, engaging in risky sex, alcoholism, and the wish to sustain longer-term goals such as a healthy diet, exercise, and regular health check-ups necessary for a long and healthy life. We fear the weight of the knowledge of our health would be worse than the burden of experiencing the disease which is not the truth.
Ignorance is expensive. Undiagnosed and untreated health conditions can result in much-complicated health conditions that are expensive to treat or manage. Undiagnosed conditions increase vulnerability to infections such as Covid 19 due to compromised immunity which can increase the severity of the disease or even lead to premature death.
Lack of knowledge and stupidity increase stigma and discrimination among patients in the community. Ignorance results in stigma and discrimination that worsens patients' health conditions and reduces the likelihood of getting the right treatment among the patients in the community. Health education help reduce stigma and discrimination by creating awareness on disease management, patient care needs, and social interaction between patients and the community.
It is important to protect your health by eating a balanced diet, regular exercising, and having regular health check-ups. You should visit a health provider when you are sick, and complete the follow-up plan as recommended by your doctor. If you have a chronic condition, regular check-ins with your doctor will ensure proper management of the condition in check.
We should openly talk about facts and experiences on mental and other health issues on social media, family conversations, and other events to enhance education and cut misperceptions and negative comments. We should show compassion for those with different health needs and be conscious of language because words matter.
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.
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