Climate-related environmental disasters and infectious disease outbreaks are increasingly affecting mental health in Africa. Safety concerns and loss of life, property, or livelihoods can trigger or worsen mental health disorders in the aftermath of a catastrophe. Uganda has been particularly hard-hit recently, and StrongMinds is providing much-needed mental health support in affected regions. In July,…
When 16-year-old Gabriele first entered Uganda as a South Sudanese refugee, he never imagined he’d soon be traveling to Kampala to lobby Parliament and Ministry officials for new mental health policies. Gabriele, who attends school in Uganda’s Palabek refugee settlement, is one of nearly 12,000 adolescents in Africa who have received depression treatment from StrongMinds…
Poor countries are developing a new paradigm of mental health care. America is taking note. This is what the future of mental health could look like. By Sigal Samuel, Senior Reporter at Vox When you look at the numbers, it’s easy to gape in horror. In Ghana, a nation of 32 million people, there are only…
Published by Meenakshi Dalal, Media Relations Officer at WHO Regional Office for Africa Kampala – Poor access to mental health care in many African countries due to low government investment is one of the major hurdles to prevention and care services. On average African governments allocate less than 50 US cents per capita to mental…
StrongMinds Uganda teams observed World Mental Health Day with several outreach and visibility events throughout October. Kalerwe Market served as the first mobilization site due to the large number of vendors who might be experiencing depression and other mental health challenges on Oct. 10. Throughout the day, staff and peer facilitators educated individuals about depression…
Sean Mayberry was selected as the winner of the Honorary 2022 Pardes Humanitarian Prize in Mental Health, awarded by The Brain and Behavior Research Foundation. The Honorary Prize Recipients were chosen by an esteemed panel for their groundbreaking work in global mental health. “The 2022 Pardes Prize recipients personify the deep knowledge and understanding of…
Uganda’s Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) circulated guidelines instructing all academic institutions to implement mental health programming in schools on October 5. The milestone comes after continuous ministry liaison with StrongMinds teams urging officials to place adolescent mental health higher on Uganda’s national education agenda. Under new procedures, institutions must begin implementing at least…
Prossy is a 30-year-old South Sudanese woman who fled to Uganda with her four children to escape the civil war at home. Her husband had traveled ahead and awaited their arrival in the Palabek refugee settlement in northern Uganda. The journey was long and arduous. During their months in transit, Prossy dreamed of the moment…
By Capital FM News Reporter Kidandi Moses Experts have warned of an urgent need to address growing depression cases across the country, especially in local communities. This mental health condition has resulted in many cases of unexplained deaths due to suicide, violence, school dropouts, poverty, and more. Depression is a common and serious medical condition…
33-year-old Pamela resides in a small village within Lamwo District, Northern Uganda. As a busy mom attempting to manage long-standing medical issues, her days are often mentally and emotionally exhausting. In 2021, the unexpected cost of surgery caused Pamela to experience persistent feelings of sadness. Suddenly, all that began to consume her mind was the…