The African dimension

Well-meaning expatriate nurse educators and administrators too often transplant curricula from Europe or North America. Thus, owing to a lack of knowledge and psychiatric nursing skills among African nurses, midwives and health workers, the result is a failure to recognize the symptoms and signs of around 20% of all patients attending health centres, rural health clinics and outpatient department. Vincent Wankiiri makes an urgent plea a training for the African psychiatric nurse relevant to the psycho-social problems caused by the current dramatic changes in Africa.