Partnership for Mental Health Development in Sub-Saharan Africa — PaM-D

Overview

PaM-D aims to create infrastructure to develop mental health research capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa, and to advance global mental health science by conducting innovative public health-relevant research in the region. The hub brings together institutions in six countries in great need for major improvements in their health systems: Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, with outstanding researchers from institutions in the United States and United Kingdom, in partnership with government departments and non-governmental organizations. PaM-D consists of a multidisciplinary team of internationally renowned researchers whose direct experience with the complex mental health situations in Africa will be channeled towards addressing the diverse needs associated with low policy priority for mental health, extreme paucity of human resources, poor community awareness, low recognition of mental health conditions, and under-treatment of those conditions. The specific aims include: (1) bringing together service providers, policy makers, and researchers with expertise in global mental health to create a regional center supporting research capacity-building and innovative mental health service development in the region, focusing, initially, on expanding service for persons suffering from psychosis; and, (2) developing and implementing targeted programs of training and mentoring that build mental health research capacity in a broad range of mental health professionals, with a view to creating and supporting a critical mass of experts to address the region's mental health needs.