Educational Program

In Uganda less than 20% of people with mental illness access care in hospitals. The problem is two-fold: (1) resistance on the part of people to access care in (modern) clinical settings, and go to traditional healers instead; and (2) bio-medical mental health professionals are suspicious of what traditional healers offer. Our general objective is to reduce the treatment gap among people with mental illness by increasing access to mental healthcare, reducing stigma, and thereby minimizing suffering among people with mental Illnesses.

Mental health stigma and discrimination is a worldwide public health problem that impedes access to effective and affordable community-based care and rehabilitation for people living with mental disorders. Health professionals are not immune to stigmatizing beliefs and practices.

In Ethiopia, there is limited understanding of mental health problems among the general population and, as a result, many people suffering from common mental disorders are undiagnosed and untreated. Screening for domestic partner violence and common mental disorders and treatments that are brief, safe, effective and affordable are desperately needed. Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) is a tested treatment that can be delivered by healthcare providers and trained lay workers with little or no previous mental health experience.

Self-help groups, farmers' clubs and other community-based organizations will identify mental illness cases and facilitate access to care in a rural part of India where 5–7% of citizens suffer mental health problems and three in 100 commit suicide. With mental health professionals in short supply, detection rates are low, especially in rural areas, and problems are compounded by social stigma of patients.  The result: an estimated 80–90% of mental illness in India goes untreated.

This project allows the Africa Mental Health Foundation and the University of British Columbia to adapt NextGenU.org's model of free, high-quality computer-based distance learning to train the primary care workforce in Kenya to screen and manage substance use disorders. Follow Africa Mental Health Foundation Kenya on Twitter @amhf_kenya

Presbyopia, or farsightedness, is a significant cause of avoidable visual impairment, blindness and disability, particularly among older adults. Vision impairment due to uncorrected presbyopia affects over one billion people worldwide, 98% of whom live in developing countries. Poor access to eyeglasses and lack of health care professionals to perform eye examinations exacerbate to this issue.

Sustainable glaucoma care via a 4-point plan: Glaucoma awareness programs, Early detection & treatment including rural areas with telemedicine, Build expert human resources using unique educational models and Create centres of excellence (enabling environment) for subspecialty practice. This enhances access to quality & cost-effective care.

Our Adaptive Design International social innovation pilot partnership in Bolivia will scale up to a global knowledge-mobilization platform for communities, including collaboration with Ghana's University of Education, to learn how to produce and distribute adaptively designed furniture. The furniture is created from accessible resources such as cardboard, and helps children with disabilities survive, thrive, and meaningfully contribute to society.

Hydrocephalus (excessive fluid in the brain) afflicts over 14,000 infants annually in East, Central and Southern Africa. Left untreated, it can halt development and is often fatal in the first years of life. However it is treatable, but the treatments are surgical, which is difficult to access due to lack of equipment and trained personnel. This results in less than 10% of affected children receiving treatment in these regions. Endoscopic treatment of hydrocephalus is advocated in low-resource areas because it can cure up to 70% of cases without lifelong dependence on an external drain.

Mental illness is the largest contributor to disability worldwide. By 2030 depressive diseases are projected to be the leading global burden of disease. 75% of the 450 million mentally ill people are in the developing world where a devastating link between mental illness and poverty has long been ignored and a treatment gap of 85% exists. Yet mental health remains acutely under-resourced. These innovators will replicate the The BasicNeeds Model for Mental Health and Development in Ghana via an innovative social franchise.