A path to a full recovery that includes mental health
- Ghana Country
- 99.000 € Investment
- 2023-25 Length
The Challenge
In low- and middle-income countries, illnesses such as depression are a direct consequence of suffering from an infectious disease.
While progress has been made in addressing the mental health consequences for people affected by HIV or tuberculosis, psychological support for people suffering from any of the 20 NTDs is often non-existent.
The solution
We partnered up with the Research & Grant Institute of Ghana to reduce the mental health and stigma burden associated with skin-NTDs by integrating mental healthcare into primary and community care of skin-NTDs in Ghana. The project focuses on:
- Capacity building and training.
- Research and self-care aimed to reduce the morbidity and disability and psychosocial impact of skin-NTD through a person-centred approach.
- Integrate mental health interventions into primary and community care systems: the skin-NTD treatment packages would comprise mental health support and stigma reduction strategies that can increase the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the packages due to better treatment adherence and improved health and well-being.
- Integrated treatment for skin-NTDs will involve the use of lay healthcare workers or non-mental health professionals who are readily available across the various levels of care (task-shifting), thus contributing to the cost effectiveness of integrated interventions.
Impact
By strengthening the capacity of health workers to tackle the consequences of NTDs on mental health, we will support a full recovery of patients and break free from the stigma associated to skin-NTDs.
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