Lomé – Mental health experts and policymakers from 26 countries across West and Central Africa have pledged to accelerate the expansion of dignified, rights-based mental health services and fast-track progress towards the WHO African Region’s 2030 mental health targets
The commitment was made at the West and Central Africa Mental Health Intercountry Learning Gathering in Lomé, convened by the WHO Regional Office for Africa with support from the Akwaaba Trust.
“Every person living with a mental health condition deserves to be treated with dignity, respect and compassion,” said Dr Benido Impouma, Director of Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Control at the WHO Regional Office for Africa. “While progress has been made, we must accelerate efforts to strengthen rights-based, community-centred care and build resilient health systems that ensure no one is left behind.”
During the four-day meeting, participants reviewed progress, shared lessons from across the Region and agreed on practical actions to strengthen national mental health systems and expand access to quality care closer to where people live
Discussions centred on integrating mental health into primary health care, strengthening community-based services and ensuring that people with lived experience play a meaningful role in shaping policies and services
Despite growing political commitment, significant gaps remain. Twenty-nine countries in the WHO African Region have adopted national mental health policies or strategies, yet only 17 are aligned with international human rights standards. Progress in integrating mental health into primary health care is also limited, with only seven of the Region’s 47 Member States delivering these services effectively at the primary care level
Participants called for stronger legal and policy frameworks to safeguard the rights of people living with mental health conditions and highlighted the importance of greater collaboration between the health, education, social welfare and justice sectors. They also emphasized the need to expand implementation of WHO’s Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP), which equips non-specialist health workers to provide mental health care where specialist services are limited
“As mental health challenges continue to grow, we must strengthen regional cooperation, promote accessible mental health services, and tackle the stigma that continues to prevent many people from seeking the care they need,” said Dr Wotobe Kokou, Secretary General of the Ministry of Health, Public Hygiene, Universal Health Coverage and Insurance
Sustainable financing was identified as another priority, with countries exploring ways to increase domestic investment while leveraging partner support to strengthen national mental health systems. “The barriers to improving access to mental health care are political, financial, cultural and institutional in nature. Addressing them requires coordinated action, sustained commitment and meaningful collaboration among all stakeholders to drive meaningful change,” emphasized Dr Kate Martin, Head of Field Building and Lived Experience at the Wellcome Trust.
Drawing on lessons from Ebola outbreaks and other humanitarian emergencies, participants also stressed the importance of integrating mental health and psychosocial support into emergency preparedness and response to protect affected communities before, during and after crises. A dedicated session on child and adolescent mental health gave young advocates an opportunity to contribute directly to discussions on more responsive policies and services
The Lomé meeting was the second in a series of WHO sub regional consultations, following a meeting for Eastern and Southern Africa held in Johannesburg in May 2026. Together, the consultations are helping countries assess progress towards the Region’s 2030 mental health goals, which include universal adoption of national mental health policies, stronger financing, improved reporting systems and the integration of mental health services into primary health care so that more people can access quality, rights-based care.
About the WHO African Region mental health targets
The African Region’s 2030 targets include ensuring that 100% of Member States have a stand-alone or integrated mental health policy or strategic plan, 70% have a dedicated mental health budget line, 95% routinely report on a comprehensive set of mental health indicators, and 60% effectively integrate mental health into primary health care to improve equitable access to quality care
