Although mental health problems are widespread in many African nations, they rarely
receive the attention they merit. Stigmatisation is a prevalent factor that makes
patients reluctant to seek mental health care in most African countries. As knowledge
about mental health increased, some African countries, such as Ghana, Kenya, South
Africa, Uganda, and Zambia, began passing legislation and laws to safeguard the rights
of individuals who have mental health problems. In 1916, Nigeria, Africa s most populous
country, enacted its first mental health legislation, which was called the Lunacy
Ordinance.