The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called for people with lived experience of mental health conditions to play a stronger role in shaping policies, designing services and strengthening mental health care across Africa.
WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Janabi, made the call on Monday in his message to mark World Mental Health Day 2026, themed: “Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change”.
Janabi said nearly 150 million people in Africa live with mental health, neurological or substance use conditions, including depression, anxiety and alcohol and other substance use disorders.
He said that many affected people still lacked access to appropriate care and support, while stigma and discrimination continued to discourage people from seeking help.
Janabi said people with lived experience could identify gaps in services, highlight effective forms of support and help ensure that they care for respected human dignity and rights.
He said listening to affected people must go beyond collecting personal stories to ensure their participation in decisions that directly affected their lives.
“People with lived experience should help develop policies, design services and strengthen peer-led initiatives,” Janabi said.
He said their perspectives, combined with clinical and public health expertise, could make mental health services more responsive, inclusive and accountable.
Janabi said WHO had created opportunities for people with lived experience to contribute to mental health discussions in the African Region.
He said they served as key facilitators during the Regional Mental Health Webinar Series and Mental Health intercountry learning meetings held in South Africa and Togo.
According to him, the initiatives were developed with the Pan African Network of People with Psychosocial Disabilities, Aves Mental Health and United for Global Mental Health.
Janabi said WHO’s recently published Mental Health in Africa Investment Case also called for stronger community-based services, human rights protection and sustained involvement of people who use mental health services.
He said the investment case placed integration of mental health into primary health care at the centre of efforts to achieve universal health coverage.
Janabi, however, said only seven of the 47 countries in the WHO African Region were implementing comprehensive mental health integration into primary health care.
He said average government spending on mental health stood at only 0.07 U.S. dollars per person in Africa, compared with 2.69 dollars globally.
Janabi said mental health services were also often fragmented or concentrated in major urban centres, leaving many communities without adequate support close to home.
He called for stronger national leadership and increased, sustained financing to close the gaps in mental health care across the Region.
Janabi urged Member States to establish formal and sustained mechanisms for the participation of people with lived experience in mental health policy and service development.
He also called on health professionals, civil society organisations and partners to support the leadership of affected people and help bring compassionate, rights-based care closer to communities.
He reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to working with Member States and communities to expand accessible mental health services across Africa.(NAN)
