Angela Onwuzoo
A Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Jos, Plateau State, Professor Taiwo Obindo, says rising inflation in the country might expose Nigerians to the risk of recurring upper respiratory tract infection due to low immunity.
The President, Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria, said the current inflation rate in the country was causing physical and mental health problems among Nigerians, expressing concern that many of them are presently unable to meet up with basic life necessities.
The professor, who disclosed this exclusively to Reportr Door Healthwise, said stress resulting from the high inflation rate has made many Nigerians to develop different medical problems besides mental health issues.
According to him, some of the physical health conditions that could arise include elevated or poorly controlled Blood Pressure despite taking medication.
He said, “Rising inflation can impact the mental health of Nigerians, particularly in those at risk or predisposed to developing depression – those who have not developed resilience.
“They are predisposed to glucose intolerance, diabetes mellitus or poor sugar control, peptic ulcer diseases, more frequent asthmatic attacks or development of asthma, migrainous headaches or tension headaches.
“Others are irritable bowel syndrome or ulcerative colitis, recurrence of catarrh and upper respiratory tract infection due to lowered immunity, acne or other skin lesions”
The National Bureau of Statistics in a new report said Nigeria’s headline inflation rate increased to 22.04 per cent on a year-on-year basis in March 2023.
This is according to the NBS Consumer Price Index and Inflation Report for March 2023, released in Abuja on Monday.
According to the NBS Consumer Price Index and Inflation Report, the figure is 0.13 per cent points higher when compared to the 21.91 per cent recorded in February 2023.
It noted that on a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate in March 2023 was 6.13 per cent higher than the rate recorded in March 2022 at 15.92 per cent.
“This shows that the headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) increased in March 2023 when compared to the same period in March 2022,” the report stated.
The report put the contributions of items on the divisional level to the increase in the headline index on food and non-alcoholic beverages at 11.42 per cent, while housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuel at 3.69 per cent.
Others are clothing and footwear at .69 per cent; transport at 1.43 per cent; furnishings, household equipment and maintenance at 1.11 per cent, education at 0.87 per cent and health at 0.66 per cent.
Prof. Obindo also noted that any mental Illness may develop from the rising cost of living depending on the vulnerability or risks.
According to him, the most common ones include anxiety disorders, panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder, acute stress reactions, adjustment disorders, depression and sleep disorders.
Speaking on the way forward, he said, “People need to know and accept the fact that by worrying, the situation will not go away and it cannot be wished away.
“Rather than lamenting about the situation, concrete steps should be made to think of a way out.
“Hope is another ingredient to hold onto. Hope that things would surely get better someday.
“Appraising what brought us to this quagmire and what steps to take to redress the wrong.”
He stressed that the mental health of Nigerians should be given priority attention.
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