Seventy percent of the global burden of mental disorders is located in
low and middle income countries (LMIC), including sub-Saharan Africa
(SSA). However, in Africa, only 0.62% of the national health budget is
allocated to mental health compared to a global median of 2.8% and 5% in
Europe. The government is the source of funding in 62%of patients with
severe mental disorder in the World Health Organisation (WHO), Africa
Region, the lowest of all the WHO regions, and lower compared to a
global median of 79%. This is compounded by poor resources, with mental
health outpatient facilities in WHO Africa Region being less that 10% of
the global median. To address these problems, the WHO launched its
Mental Health Action Gap Programme (mhGAP) in 2008, to scale-up mental
health services in low and middle income countries (LMIC). The book is
directed to all policy makers in sub-Saharan Africa to aid decision
making about the urgent need for sustainable and relevant mental health
care strategies, and the important areas that need priority. The book
should be helpful to local and international researchers in formulating
research questions relevant to the African continent and it will be of
interest to medical practitioners and students in the region as adjunct
to standard text books.
