Media Advisory

July 18, 2024

Contact: Roger Nokes, Roger@StrongMinds.org, 732-770-9971

StrongMinds to discuss the intersection of mental health and HIV/AIDS at AIDS 2024

Organization to note impact of interpersonal group therapy (IPT-G) deployed by lay community members as treatment for depression with benefits for persons living with HIV or AIDS.

Kampala, Uganda — StrongMinds, a global nonprofit organization that provides interpersonal group therapy (IPT-G) via trained lay community members as treatment for depression, will attend AIDS 2024, the 25th International AIDS Conference, in Berlin, Germany, to highlight its efforts and push for greater international support for mental health services as a tool in the fight against HIV/AIDS. 

Depression is a significant risk factor for HIV/AIDS, and treating depression can help lower the risk of HIV. Additionally, individuals are 85 percent more likely to adhere to antiretroviral treatment after receiving treatment for their depression. 

On Tuesday, July 23rd, from 10am to 11:30am CET in Room 14C/Channel 10, StrongMinds’ Advocacy Director Liz Bayer will address the donor roundtable, “Investing in minds transforms lives: A call for increased donor investment in mental health for HIV and TB.”

On Wednesday, July 24th from 3pm to 4:30pm CET in the mental health networking zone at the Global Village, Liz Bayer will host a drop-in advocacy clinic to talk about local mental health advocacy strategies.

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About StrongMinds

Founded in 2013, StrongMinds provides depression treatment through interpersonal group therapy (IPT-G) deployed by lay community leaders in low-resource settings. Our mission is to radically expand mental health care for people with depression, globally. For more information about StrongMinds, please visit strongminds.org.