International conference on "Mental Health in Africa" in collaboration with CBM
Fracarita International participated to an international conference on “Mental Health in Africa”, organized by Western Africa Health Organization (WAHO) in collaboration with CBM, in Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso) on 5 and 6 November 2019.
The participants are from the Western part of Africa, including DR Congo: professionals, government officials, national and international NGOs, WHO’s Regional Office for Africa, social societies, associations, etc. The Brothers of Charity/Fracarita International was invited to share its experiences in mental health care in African countries. Brother Hippolyte Manirakiza, former director of the Neuropsychiatric Centre of Kamenge (CNPK, Burundi), represented the congregation and Fracarita International in this conference.
Objectives
To review current burden of mental health disorders in West Africa and common risk factors and the progress in meeting the objectives of the WHO Global Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2020.
To discuss updates on governance, partnership and coordination, legislation, organization and integration of mental health services, human resources, logistics management and financing.
To sensitize participants on the Quality Rights approach.
To understand current perspectives, status, and activities in mental health in francophone countries.
To map actors to build a pan-African network for liaison in interventions and research.
To explore means of improving links between African (and European) French-speaking and English-speaking countries and build capacity of leaders for mental health research and development.
To identify priorities for Francophone African countries in mental health, which will feed into the Mental Health in Africa Conference in London in November 2019.
Expected outcomes
Participants will be updated on the ECOWAS regional burden of mental health disorders and initiatives to tackle them.
The current structure, capacity, practices, programmes and challenges in mental health services will be identified.
Potential reasons for the gaps in the capacity, practices and care between Francophone and Anglophone west Africa identifies.
Professional network and collaboration in mental health programmes, capacity building and research established or improved upon.
Participants sensitized on human rights-based and recovery-oriented approach to mental health care.
Priorities for Francophone African countries in mental health, for discussion at the Mental Health in Africa Conference in London in November 2019 agreed upon.
