This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Canada funds $1.6 million for mental health research in Africa
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Grand Challenges of Canada, in addition to other government partners, will provide $1.6 million in funds to the BasicNeeds model to improve mental health care in certain areas of Africa, according to a press release.
Specifically, the funding will be directed toward existing health and community systems serving patients with mental illness in Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria.
The 3-year initiative is expected to reach 10,000 patients through outreach clinics, mental health camps and regular check-ups, according to the press release.
In addition, the University of Ghana will conduct research to determine the implementation costs compared with standard approaches.
“There are few better examples of how a bold idea can have big impact than BasicNeeds, which has improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of people with mental illness in the developing world. Canada, through Grand Challenges Canada, is proud to help bring this model to even greater scale so that many more people can lead a life of productivity and participation in society,” Peter A. Singer, MD, MPH, FRCPC, the CEO of Grand Challenges Canada, said in the release.