The 94 people with mental health disorders who died after they were moved from the Life Esidemeni facility and put into inadequate care shows the poor state of mental health care in South Africa.
In developing countries mental health care generally takes a backseat when it comes to allocating resources.
A child from a special care centre in Cape Town celebrating international kite day. In South Africa mental health services are not a priority.
Epa/Nic Bothma
While the global health community has made mental healthcare a priority, South Africa is not following suite. The impact is felt most acutely by poor people suffering from mental health disorders.