More than 75 percent of people in low- and middle-income countries do not have access to effective treatment for mental disease. There are also research gaps on mental health in Africa with very little done to prevent and relieve the suffering and difficulties associated with depression.
To address these challenges, the Aga Khan University Brain and Mind Institute (BMI) in partnership with The Lancet and World Psychiatric Association (WPA) has launched the Africa Commission on Depression.
The Lancet-WPA Commission on Depression was formed to bring together evidence from multiple contexts and develop action-oriented recommendations for communities and individuals afflicted by depression. This also includes clinicians, public health practitioners, researchers, policymakers and healthcare financiers.
“Depression is a primary cause of preventable suffering and premature death worldwide, yet it has received little policy attention. Most countries are not adequately equipped to cope with the burden of depression, not only due to long-standing inadequate-resourcing of mental health-care systems and a scarcity of qualified providers, but also due to the tight barriers that generally divide mental health expertise and mental health care from primary health care and community support sectors, as well as health policy from other relevant areas of public policy such as employment, education, welfare benefits, and migration,” said Dr Zul Merali, Founding Director, BMI.
According to the WHO's 2014 Mental Health Atlas study, 46% of African countries do not have or have not implemented separate mental health policies. The region also fares relatively low in terms of psychiatrists, hospital beds for patients with mental illness and outpatient facility coverage. With the continent’s population expected to triple by 2030, there is critical need for increased access to mental health interventions and services.
“The Commission emphasises the importance of looking beyond health care to determine what is needed to decrease the burden of depression. An adequate response will necessitate whole-of-society and whole-of-government engagement to ensure that people in need of help can have accessibility for assistance,” says Dr Dixon Chibanda, Commissioner, Lancet-WPA Commission on Depression.
The Lancet-WPA Commission emphasises the importance of looking beyond health care to determine what is needed throughout societies to decrease the burden of depression. Data collected from clinical, scientific and lived experiences will support advocacy for changes in policy, research and practice.
Collaborative action is therefore needed to ensure that those in need get the help they deserve.
