Description
Background
Despite strategic efforts to integrate mental health into PHC, mental health services remain fragmented and centralized at specialized facilities exacerbating inaccessibility which is also widely contributed to by; understaffing for mental health professionals, unavailability of commodities and drugs, stigma and limited awareness. According to the Kenya MOH, approximately 75% of mental health cases remain untreated, exposing millions to vulnerability. This abstract outlines progress and achievements to strengthen the delivery of community mental health services through PHC.
Description of the Intervention
Health Rights Advocacy Forum (HERAF) has been implementing a mental health project Makadara Sub-County― “Strengthening the Integration of Mental Health into PHC Systems”. The intervention focused on; increased mental health investment at the county and national level; capacity training for HCWs on mental health services for task shifting; enhancing reporting and availability of mental health data as well as human rights-based approach to mental health service delivery.
Findings
Capacity training of CHPs on mental health has directly resulted in early identification of mental health conditions at the community level, strengthened referral pathways and increased community awareness and adoption of a rights-based approach to mental health. These efforts include; inclusion of mental health screening in the triaging; improved documentation and reporting of mental health cases; timely referrals from CHVs to PHC facilities; increased community sensitization forums on mental health and stigma; and integration of mental health education into existing community health dialogue days ultimately contributing to inclusive primary health care services.
Conclusion
The preliminary findings of this project demonstrate a viable pathway towards equitable and accessible mental health service delivery in Nairobi. Decentralizing mental health services to anchor on PHC systems accelerates the progress of achieving the UHC. Advocacy through data driven planning, rights-based approach to mental health service delivery and capacity building have collectively enhanced community mental health services.
| Country | Kenya |
|---|---|
| Organization | Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) |
| Position | Programs Assistant |
| Received a Grant? | No |
