Lomé, Togo: Mental health leaders and policymakers from 26 West and Central African countries have committed to expanding rights-based, community-based mental health care and accelerating progress towards the WHO African Region’s 2030 mental health targets.
The commitment was made during the West and Central Africa Mental Health Intercountry Learning Gathering, convened by the WHO Regional Office for Africa with support from the Akwaaba Trust.
Participants agreed to strengthen the integration of mental health into primary healthcare, expand community-based services, improve legal protections for people living with mental health conditions, and scale up implementation of the WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP).
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Sustainable financing was identified as another priority, with countries exploring ways to increase domestic investment while leveraging partner support to strengthen national mental health systems. “The barriers to improving access to mental health care are political, financial, cultural and institutional in nature. Addressing them requires coordinated action, sustained commitment and meaningful collaboration among all stakeholders to drive meaningful change,” emphasized Dr Kate Martin, Head of Field Building and Lived Experience at the Wellcome Trust.
The meeting also highlighted key gaps across the region, with only 17 of 29 national mental health policies aligned with international human rights standards and just seven countries effectively integrating mental health services into primary healthcare.
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“Every person living with a mental health condition deserves to be treated with dignity, respect and compassion,” said Dr Benido Impouma, Director of Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Control at the WHO Regional Office for Africa. “While progress has been made, we must accelerate efforts to strengthen rights-based, community-centred care and build resilient health systems that ensure no one is left behind.”
