Mental Health & Wellbeing

The issue

Uganda faces a profound mental health crisis, with nearly one in four adults and children grappling with a mental health disorder. This burden is compounded by a legacy of trauma, conflict, poverty, and rising substance abuse, particularly among youth.

 The primary barriers to care are severe underfunding—only about 1% of the healthcare budget is allocated to mental health—and a critical shortage of professionals, with most concentrated in urban areas. Pervasive stigma and traditional beliefs often lead families to seek spiritual healers or isolate sufferers, resulting in late or avoided medical treatment. The existing mental healthcare system is centralized, resource-strained, and often operates on antiquated legislation, making effective, affordable, and accessible care unavailable for the majority, especially in rural communities.
 
 

Our main actions

Integrate Mental Health into Primary Healthcare (PHC) and Decentralize Services

Train a large network of primary healthcare providers and lay community members (e.g., Village Health Teams, teachers) in basic mental health first aid, screening, and group talk therapy to decentralize services and increase immediate access in rural settings.

Launch Public Anti-Stigma and Mental Health Literacy Campaigns

Utilize community leaders, schools, and media to normalize mental health conversations, dispel myths, and encourage early help-seeking behavior. Focus on reframing mental illness as a treatable medical condition, not a curse.

 

Increase Policy Priority and Sustainable Funding

Advocate for a significant increase in the national mental health budget (above the current 1%), ensuring equitable distribution of funds. Prioritize implementation of the Mental Health Act and develop policies that support affordable medication access and comprehensive care, including psychosocial support.

Strengthen and Expand the Mental Health Workforce

Increase the number of specialized mental health professionals (psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurses) through strengthening university programs and providing incentives to retain them in-country, especially in regional and rural facilities.