WPA‐WHO Africa Mental Health Forum – recommendations and position statement

The WPA Action Plan 2017-20201 has been released by H. Herrman, new WPA President, during the recent World Congress of Psychiatry in Berlin. An agreement that could assist in achieving the objectives of that Action Plan in an African context has been produced during the WPA-World Health Organization (WHO) Africa Mental Health Forum meeting that took place in November 2016 in Cape Town, South Africa. In particular, the agreement can be helpful with regard to the Action Plan's enabling activities, aimed at supporting psychiatrists to promote mental health and improve care capacity, and its partnership and collaboration activities, aimed to expand the reach and effectiveness of partnerships with service providers, service beneficiaries and policy makers. From the vision stated by M. Moeti in her presentation, the proceedings and the concluding remarks by the co-chairs of the Forum, the following position statement was drafted on a continental alliance for integrated mental health care in Africa: In order to achieve the communicated vision, objectives and targets for achieving the potential of mental health for all and integrated mental health care in Africa, we will need to work together with collective strength and active collaboration. Such an alliance for integrated mental health care in Africa, with emphasis on public mental health, includes: individual and collective psychiatrists, as well as all members of the multidisciplinary mental health team (psychologists, nurses, social workers, occupational therapists); other health professionals in primary and specialist health care; community mental health workers and self-help resources; our patients and their families; the public at large through the media; training institutions; as well as governments’ Ministries of Health and private service providers of mental health care services. While different countries and groups may have different entry points, strengthening of this alliance must be sought within countries nationally, provincially and locally, but also on subcontinental and continental levels. The full report on the Forum can be obtained from the WPA website. Bernard Janse van Rensburg1, Dinesh Bhugra2, Shekhar Saxena3 1President, South African Society of Psychiatrists; 2WPA Immediate Past-President; 3Director, WHO Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse