On October 19 at 3:00 p.m. (UTC + 2), the Benito Menni Foundation, of Hermanas Hospitalarias, will hold a virtual colloquium entitled: “The community model in mental health: experiences from Africa and clues to strengthen development cooperation in this area”
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the importance of mental health has been highlighted in various spaces, and began to gain relevance in the public and political agenda of many countries. However, still between 75% and 95% of people with mental disorders in low- and middle-income countries cannot access mental health services.
In many of these countries, mental health policies are still incipient, and there is a strong stigmatization of the population that suffers from some type of mental disorder.
Given this scenario, it seems essential to advocate for a greater importance be given to mental health care in developing countries, through international cooperation, as well as through other mechanisms, thereby promoting the achievement of the goal 3.4 of the Sustainable Development Goals, “By 2030… promote mental health and well-being”.
Mobilized by this issue, and within the framework of Mental Health Day, we want to present the community model of mental health care that focuses not only on the clinical-psychiatric dimension but also on the social dimension, promoting social integration and fight against stigmatization, as a model of success to be supported. In this Webinar we will present the main highlights of this model, and then give way to the experience of two mental health centers run by Sisters Hospitallers in Yaoundé (Cameroon) and Kinshasa (DRC). We will end the Webinar by pointing out the importance of strengthening development cooperation in the area of mental health and its multiplier effect.
To participate in the colloquium it is necessary to register at the following link https://forms.gle/4QvSFrXnX8ztgJsQ9
Contact: fbmcooperacion@hscgen.org
