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PROJECT CONCEPT
Region: Africa
Country: Uganda
Location: Kampala City
Total Budget: $ 198,816
Areas of Focus: Disease Prevention and Treatment.
Mental Health Project
Club: Rotary Club of Kampala-Naalya
Project Name: Mental-Health Support for Adolescents in Ghetto
Communities (MSAG) Project.
Area of focus: - Disease Prevention and Treatment.
Project Location: - Kampala City Ghetto Communities (Acholi Quarters, Katwe, Kiwunya, Katanga and Kisenyi), Uganda
Project duration: - 2 Years (2024 - 2026)
Project Description:
Problem Statement
Globally, mental health problems are a leading cause of disability among young people, affecting one in seven 10-19-year-olds and constituting 13% of the global burden of disease in this age group. Adolescents with mental health conditions face various challenges, including social exclusion, discrimination, stigma hindering help-seeking, educational difficulties, risk-taking behaviors, physical health issues, and human rights violations. Protecting adolescents, promoting socio-emotional learning, ensuring access to mental health care, and addressing stigma are crucial for their well-being.
In Uganda, where 57% of the population is under 15 years old, adolescents bear a disproportionately high burden of mental health challenges (UBOS, 2022). A study among secondary school students revealed depression rates at 21% and anxiety at 26.6%, with higher rates in females (29.7%) (Silje Akselberg Iversen etal, 2021). Despite the rising burden, affordable and youth-friendly mental health services are scarce due low investment in mental services and facilities, to stigma and a lack of mental health promotion. Existing services struggle to offer quality care; hindered by a shortage of skilled health workers and teachers. Uganda has only 53 psychiatrists, approximately one psychiatrist per 1 million population. These psychiatrists are mostly located in urban centres and are employed as university lecturers and researchers, leaving few to serve as clinicians. (Lancet, 2021)
Adolescents in Ghetto communities may face additional challenges, including violence and adverse childhood experiences. Limited research exists on how these factors influence mental health in urban poor settings, necessitating an examination of the associations between violence, adverse life events, and self-reported depression in Kampala's Ghetto communities. Adolescents living with HIV must cope with biological, treatment-related, and psychological challenges thus, affecting their mental health depressingly. Skills to support children with mental health challenges are deficient in schools and communities. Teachers, counsellors and nurses lack the necessary knowledge and skills, resulting in inadequate support, and many children with behavioral problems are excluded from the education system.
Therefore, this project aims to address these gaps in the educational, health, and social sectors to mitigate the impact of mental health challenges among adolescents in Ghetto communities in Kampala City. There are various partners implementing mental health interventions in Kampala City. However, coordination is lacking. In addition, this project aims to collaborate with Kampala Capital City Authority to enhance coordination among partners implementing mental health interventions in the city.
Project objectives
1. Increase access to mental health and psychosocial support services by adolescents aged (12-17) years in the five (5) selected Ghetto Communities in Kampala
2. Strengthen the capacity of teachers and health workers in identifying and managing mental health and psychosocial challenges among adolescents aged 12-17 years
3. Strengthen partnerships and collaboration among key actors for the delivery of holistic mental health services to the Adolescents in schools and Ghetto communities in Kampala.
Project Beneficiaries
a. Primary beneficiaries: 3,000 (1800 female and 1200 male) adolescents living in Ghettoes in Kampala City
b. Secondary beneficiaries: teachers, health workers, parents, local leaders and general community in the selected Ghetto Communities of Kampala Capital City
Project Outcomes
(i) Increased access to mental health and psychosocial support adolescents aged (12-17) years in the selected five (5) Ghetto Communities in Kampala
(ii) Strengthened capacity of teachers and health workers in identifying and managing mental health and psychosocial challenges aged 12-17 years
(iii) Strengthened planning, partnerships and collaboration among key actors for coordinated delivery of holistic mental health services to the Adolescents in the Ghetto communities in Kampala
Project Activities
In order to achieve the intended objectives and outcomes of the project, the Rotary Club of Kampala-Naalya and partners will adopt innovative approaches to implement targeted activities in a synergistic manner to enhance the results. Key activities will include:
i. Conduct quarterly 10 integrated mental health service outreach camps in the selected schools and Ghetto Communities in Kampala city.
ii. Conduct mental health education, screening, counselling and referrals
iii. Train community health workers (VHTs), teachers and resource persons in the selected Ghetto Communities and provide them with mental health toolkits and IEC materials for community mobilisation and sensitisation.
iv. Organise meetings with media houses and mass media influencers to build their knowledge and skills in promotion and reporting on mental health
v. Provide toll-free line for online and reinforced learning.
vi. Integrate other health services for adolescents such as vaccination, STIs treatment and HIV/SRHR education.
vii. Establish and support referral linkages with mental health services for adolescents in the selected Ghetto communities.
viii. Support formation and functionality of peer support groups
ix. Support establishment of mental health spaces in the community health facilities and schools
Estimated Budget
Total - US$ 198,816
Cash Contribution from Rotary Club of Kampala Naalya - US$ 5,000
DDF from District 9213
Amount Needed - US$ 191,816
Primary Host Partner
District: 9213
Rotary Club of: Kampala Naalya
1st Primary Contact: Dr. John Mugisa MD, MPH
Email: john.mugisa64@gmail.com, mugisa.john@yhaoo.com
2nd Primary Contact:
1. Charles Owek, MPH
Email: meno85charles@gmail.com, menocharles@yahoo.com
2. James Nsereko
Email: nsereko66james@yahoo.com
Primary International Partner
To be determined
Project listed for the 2024-25 Rotary Year.
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