Vusumuzi Dube
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke, Senior Health Reporter
ZIMBABWE is from today (Tuesday) hosting a 10-day Mental Health Leadership Program in Harare where 33 leaders from various sectors are being capacitated to address the growing burden of mental health-related challenges in Africa.
The training program is being hosted by the University of Zimbabwe in collaboration with the Africa Centres for Disease Control (Africa CDC) with support from Wellcome Trust.
A first of its kind in Southern Africa, the programme aims to bridge the gap presented by the shortage of mental health workers by training professionals from diverse fields to strengthen the response to mental health challenges in various countries.
Participants are drawn from 14 countries across Africa and include epidemiologists, psychiatrists, lawyers, engineers, media professionals and individuals with lived experiences.
Health and Child Care Secretary, Dr Aspect Maunganidze, who was represented by director Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) Dr Justice Mudavanhu said mental health is still a neglected Non-Communicable Disease in Zimbabwe and Africa as a whole.
“This initiative is a timely and much-needed effort to strengthen leadership across our continent. It is a critical pillar of public health and national development. For too long, mental health and NCDs have been neglected. The burden of our mental health conditions continues to rise, affected by socio-economic challenges, climate change and the lingering effects of pandemics in Zimbabwe and cross Africa and we must confront this reality with urgency, expertise and commitment. This is why initiatives such as the mental health leadership program are very welcome,” he said.
Online Reporter