Edawu: a journey from in-patient rehabilitation to community-based treatment and rehabilitation in Nigeria

Abstract

Community-based rehabilitation is the strategy endorsed by the World Health Organization and other international bodies to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. In this article we trace the journey of Edawu, a mental health rehabilitation unit in a rural area of Benue State, Nigeria, from an in-patient rehabilitation unit to a community-focused service. The partnership of organisations from the UK with Edawu along the journey is also described. The authors set out learning points from the project and the principles behind sustainable overseas organisational partnerships.

Partnership for the implementation of mental health policy in Nigeria: a case study of the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Programme in Benue State

“…The Methodist Church Diocese of Otukpo, Benue State remains the largest private provider of mental health care. The Nigeria Health Care Project, set up in 1992 by the Wesley Guild, established Edawu, a 16-bed community-based rehabilitation centre for homeless people with mental disorders, in 1996 [39]. A 24-bed centre, Agboke-Oglewu, was opened in 2004 with support from the Bishop of the Methodist Church Diocese of Otukpo [40].…”

Community-Based Rehabilitation in Nigeria: A Scoping Study of Literature

“…The 2 studies classified as case reports described rehabilitation programmes that started as centre-based and later transformed into community-based so as to facilitate reintegration into the community and remove barriers and stigmatisation. The study by Chakraborty et al (2017) gave a narrative of a mental health rehabilitation programme that started as centre-based in Edawu community of Benue state through a partnership with a UK-based NGO and the Nigerian government, and later transformed into CBR.…”

The efficacy of homestyle rehabilitation on negative symptoms in chronic schizophrenia: A randomized controlled trial

“…Among the existing rehabilitation programs, hospital rehabilitation, homestyle rehabilitation (which is conducted in home-like communities), and community rehabilitation have shown significant positive effects on negative symptoms. Research has indicated that community rehabilitation is more effective than hospital rehabilitation ( 16 ), and it is commonly used after symptoms resolve ( 17 , 18 ). Homestyle rehabilitation is a new model that provides special apartments for 4–6 people diagnosed with schizophrenia to live together in a home-like environment with a trained caregiver assigned to their care ( 19 , 20 ).…”