Global Advocacy | StrongMinds
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Global Advocacy

Global Advocacy

Promoting policies and funding mechanisms to support integrated, scalable mental health solutions across Africa and globally.
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StrongMinds seeks to create a world with:

  • Multi-sectoral engagement in mental health through government ministries and NGOs.
  • Increased funding for mental health.
  • Laws and policies that uphold the human rights of people with mental health disorders.
  • Better global awareness of mental health disorders to reduce stigma and establish supportive communities.
  • Widespread support for community-based solutions that make mental health care accessible to all.

StrongMinds advances global access to mental health care by sharing our evidence and key learnings with advocates and stakeholders; local, regional, and national government officials in our countries of operation; and at high-level global convenings, including the Global Ministerial Mental Health Summit and the UN General Assembly.

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StrongMinds understands the power of advocacy and we are investing in our advocacy work to maximize the impact of evidence-based depression treatment using lay providers.

We have a three-pronged approach to mental health advocacy.
Advance Evidence-Based Policies

We will use our robust research, evidence, and learnings about the effectiveness of task-sharing models for mental health services to advocate for laws, policies, and guidelines that enable scale-up of these high-impact practices at local, national, and global levels.

Unlock Funding

We will unlock more donor and domestic funding for evidence-based mental health services.

Create New Partnerships

We will attract the attention of both governments and other health and development NGOs to create new partnerships that will allow for scaling-up and integration of mental health services within comprehensive and sustainable health systems.

Advocacy in Uganda and Zambia

In Uganda, StrongMinds works closely with the Ministry of Education and Sport, along with Members of Parliament, to ensure that all learners in Uganda’s public schools have access to mental health education and depression care.

In Zambia, StrongMinds successfully launched a pilot with Zambia’s Ministry of Health (MoH) in early 2023. Volunteer frontline health workers, known as Community Health Workers (CHWs), are now leading therapy groups in health centers in the Central Province of Zambia.

Coalition for Scaling Mental Health (CSMH)

StrongMinds is excited to announce its role as a founding member of the Coalition for Scaling Mental Health (CSMH), joining forces with Friendship Bench, Ubuntu Center for Peace, and Shamiri Institute to expand global access to mental health care, especially in low- and middle-income countries. With over 25 years of combined experience, the coalition aims to elevate the voices of frontline workers and advocate for integrating community-based services into primary care and education services. Together, we seek to close treatment gaps and transform mental health care worldwide.

 

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