By Catherine Kyobutungi and Ekin Bolukbasi – Catherine Kyobutungi is the Executive Director at African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC); Ekin Bolukbasi is the Data Prize Manager at Wellcome.
Like in many other parts of the world, there is growing concern over the deteriorating state of mental health in Africa. While this calls for immediate solutions, for any action to be effective, it must be based on proper understanding of the scale and intensity of the challenge.
In recent years, a combination of factors, ranging from challenges of daily living, conflict and public health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic have increased cases of mental health disorders on the continent. This has taken a toll on the lives of people, disrupting their ability to function and thrive and leading to lost productivity, great suffering and emotional pain for individuals, their families and communities.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 792 million people in the world, equivalent to about 10 per cent of the global population, are living with a mental health disorder. In Africa, more than 116 million people were estimated to be living with mental health conditions before the pandemic, according to WHO.
These numbers are just estimates. There are significant gaps in data on the current situation that limit our understanding of the scale of the challenge.
Without a complete picture, mental health has generally been under-prioritised in the continent. Healthcare systems are ill-equipped and unable to provide adequate access to quality care. There is insufficient investment in prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation services for mental health. This has left the continent without the facilities and specialists to handle the growing mental health crisis. In general, Africa has 1.4 mental healthcare providers for every 100,000 people, compared to the global average of 9 per 100,000 people. This has led to suboptimal response in the prevention and treatment of mental health disorders.
The situation is further complicated by cultural beliefs that have led to stigmatisation of many mental health disorders. This has made it difficult for those with these conditions to acknowledge their situation, seek help, and follow through with treatment for fear of discrimination.
Addressing this situation must be informed by research, tailored to the situation in Africa. Any interventions that are aimed at improving mental health in Africa can only be effective if they are targeted and based on reliable evidence. Leveraging the use of data for impact on mental health is the rationale behind the Mental Health Data Prize – Africa, a joint initiative of the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) and Wellcome. It aims to drive excellence and innovation in harnessing data to solve some of Africa’s biggest mental health challenges by bringing together the best minds in mental health research, lived experience and data analytics from across the continent. The Mental Health Data Prize – Africa, which is the first of its kind, is open to innovators, researchers, NGOs and startups, whose initiatives will be competing for up to10 awards, each valued at £200,000 that come with funding over 12 months. It will see multidisciplinary teams being set up to generate scalable innovations and data driven insights to improve understanding of anxiety, depression and psychosis in Africa. Interested individuals can sign up for a free five-month capacity building program which includes training on data science, advanced statistical analysis and machine learning algorithms tailored for mental health applications in the continent.
Comprehensive and up-to-date data is the foundation of effective solutions to the mental health situation in Africa. With it, it is possible to get clarity on the prevalence of disorders, access to health services, among other interventions. With this, policymakers can appreciate the scale of the problem better, and develop appropriate strategies address it. Stronger data generation, analysis and interpretation is the crucial first step to informing action, enhancing access to mental health services and stimulating further investments to achieve better outcomes for people living with mental health conditions across the African continent.
