Collaborators: Aga Khan University’s Brain and Mind Institute and the Department of Community Health.
While most Low- and Middle-Income Countries including Pakistan have underdeveloped specialist facilities for mental health, several trials from LMICs show that non-specialist Community Health Workers can manage patients effectively as front-line providers. Project mPareshan has developed an mHealth strategy to allow Lady Health Workers and their Supervisors to assess, diagnose, and provide management services for mental health within the community.
By equipping LHWs with the necessary tools the app enhances community-based care and improves access to essential services, even in climate-affected communities. The project has already achieved significant milestones including the development and launch of a training manual on mental health tailored for non-specialist health workers. Adapted from the WHO’s Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP), the manual has been translated into Urdu and Sindhi, making it accessible to LHWs across rural Pakistan. This marks the first time a context-specific training guide has been developed and tested at this level.
