Bet9ja calls for awareness care to boost mental health

Leading betting company in Nigeria, Bet9ja has joined stakeholders in different sectors to call for increased mental health and addiction treatment, awareness, and support to make the society a better place for all.

This call was made by the Managing Director, Bet9ja Ayo Ojuroye, at a mental health conference in Lagos.

 “This year, the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) has decided to make “suicide prevention” the main theme of World Mental Health Day.

Suicide is a global public health problem that deserves the attention of all the actors in the field of mental health, including scientific and professional organizations, organizations for mental health users and their families, and universities.

 

It deserves the attention of everyone, and the government should craft policies and directives aimed at establishing strategies to prevent suicide and promote the public’s mental health.” Said, Ojuroye.

Ojuroye said that as an organisation, Beyt9ja is partnering with the organisers of this conference to demonstrate how we are taking support to complement the government’s efforts in creating awareness on mental health to reduces the various consequences that are associated with it.

“We are using this medium to also promote responsible gambling initiative that advocates against addiction in gambling that can lead to mental health issues. This is a core focus of our strategic corporate social responsibility in our thematic campaign of ‘MORE THAN A BET’. Ojuroye added.

The object of making suicide prevention the theme of World Mental Health Day in 2019 is to attract the attention of governments so that the issue might be given priority in public health agendas in Nigeria.

“Getting people to talk about a subject that tends to be taboo and about which many holds mistaken, and prejudiced ideas will help people to learn about the risk factors so that they can identify and learn to address them,” Ojuroye added.

Various stakeholders at the conference reiterated that suicide is preventable and can, therefore, be avoided.