Church closure is welcome
The Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AFAW) commends the Ugandan authorities for closing down an evangelical church in Kampala where a pastor “treated” people with mental illnesses through prayer.
According to a BBC report, the police in Uganda arrested the pastor and rescued many people held at the church. Nine of them were shackled to metal poles as part of the treatment process. There have been reports of similar ‘healing’ practices in Nigeria, Ghana and Zambia.
In the quest to grow their churches and finances, many African clerics venture into faith healing. Evangelical churches as well as Islamic centres across Africa, operate faith clinics, prayer camps where they claim to provide healing services for persons with all diseases, including cancer, HIV/Aids, and even Covid-19.
In the absence of affordable health care, many Africans go to churches to get “healed” by faith. But they end up suffering abuses and further health damage.
Unfortunately, for many people across the region, faith healing places are the first port of call whenever they fall ill. In the Ugandan case, most of the persons rescued had not been to any mental hospital.
The reality is that many people cannot afford the costs of evidence-based medicine or treatment, even if there are hospitals to go to.
The mental health infrastructure is inadequate. Mental health hospitals are few in the region. Some countries have mental hospitals, but they lack equipment or facilities.
In cases where the facilities exist, there are no health experts to operate them. And where there are equipment and personnel, the cost of mental health services is out of reach for them.
Leo Igwe,
[email protected]
