Rwanda has celebrated the World Health Day on 10th October 2014. The theme of this year was « Living a healthy life with Schizophrenia ». The theme has been adapted at country level and put into national context. Also sensitization activities on mental health have been conducted country wide during the entire month of October by the national Mental Health Programme, Rwanda Biomedical Center, Ministry of Health with support of its various NGOs partners.

The ceremony of World Mental Day 2014 took place at Musanze District, Northern Province, and has been chaired by the Minister of Health. Also were present among others at the ceremony, the Representative of Governor of Northern Province, the Vice Mayor of Musanze District, Health Partners such as the acting WHO Representative, and the Belgian Technical Cooperation and Partners in Health Representatives.

The ceremony started by a popular walk to the stadium at Musanze where were organized the activities of the day. The walk was attended by Minister of Health, different Province and District Officials, National and International Partners, Musanze citizens, members of various mental health Associations, health professionals, Community health workers, students and some participants with mental health problems under care at health facilities.

At the ceremony, different speeches and messages about the day and the theme of the year have been delivered. Among them, the speech of the Minister of Health, the message of acting WHO Representative, who delivered the WHO Regional Director for African Region’s message for the day, and the speech of Representative of the Governor of Northern Province. All the messages highlighted the link of mental health disorders, such as schizophrenia, and stigma and shame to sufferers. The speakers urged all health partners to support Government efforts in general, and Ministry of Health in particular, to integrate mental health programs in health services, and also reinforce activities against stigma and discrimination towards mental health patients.

Besides the speeches, other activities have been performed by the local populations, like testimonies by families having people recovered from mental health disorders, Associations helping abandoned mental health persons, and songs.

The Mental Health Day celebration is always an opportunity to create population awareness on problems and challenges around mental health, and seek support of different partners to integrate mental health in primary health care services. It’s also an occasion to show the relationships between mental health problems and alcohol and other substance abuses, and invite people to always fight against stigma and discrimination and keep mental health patients in their families, and seek for care at health facilities and not at charlatans.