Media Center | Blogs
Jan. 13, 2026 | by MHDP Editor | Media Center | Blogs
By Barbara Kemigisha & Etheldreda Nakimli Mpungu
In Hoima, Barbara, one of our team members, noticed something that did not sit right with her. Health centers were organizing support groups for people living with Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). They offered transport allowances and refreshments, yet the rooms stayed half-empty. Almost no one came or spoke. The sessions felt forced, like ticking a box rather than touching lives.
Barbara, who herself lives with HIV, deci..
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Sep. 13, 2025 | by MHDP Editor | Media Center | Blogs
By Benta Wambui - Counseling Psychologist, and Onyango Otieno - Mental Health Advocate
Across Africa, a quiet transformation is unfolding in how mental health research is being done. The Mental Health Data Prize Africa (MHDPA), an initiative led by the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) in collaboration with the Wellcome Trust, is redefining what it means to do research with people rather than about them
At the heart of this transformation i..
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Aug. 13, 2025 | by MHDP Editor | Media Center | Blogs
By Christine Ger with contributions from Ann Waithaka and Sylvia Muyingo
Across Africa, a quiet revolution in mental health is underway - one powered by data, innovation, and a new generation of African researchers and changemakers.
Over the past year, more than 2,000 African professionals, from scholars to data scientists, policymakers, and lived experience experts, joined forces in an initiative to reshape how anxiety, depression, and psychosis are understood and addressed o..
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Dec. 9, 2024 | by MHDP Editor | Media Center | Blogs
Despite increasing awareness, mental health remains stigmatized, leading to discrimination, misunderstanding, and inadequate support. One of the greatest challenges in recent years has been gaining widespread recognition of mental health as a critical health issue. This global health crisis affects people of all ages, backgrounds, and socioeconomic statuses but often goes undiagnosed and untreated in many p..
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Oct. 14, 2024 | by MHDP Editor | Media Center | Blogs
Since the launch of the Mental Health Data Prize Africa (MHDPA) in December 2023, the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) has achieved great strides toward its mission of better understanding Africa's mental health challenges and developing scalable solutions. The first phase of the initiative attracted a wide range of participants, including innovators, scholars, policymakers, and people with lived experiences. Over 1,300 participants from across Africa took part in a five-mon..
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Jul. 1, 2024 | by MHDP Editor | Media Center | Blogs
NAIROBI, July 01, 2024—The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), in partnership with Wellcome, has today begun receiving applications for the Mental Health Data Prize—Africa 2024. This prize seeks to bridge critical gaps in the understanding of anxiety, depression, and psychosis across Africa. The first-of-its-kind prize is open to innovators, researchers, and startups competing for up to ten awards, each valued at £200,000 that comes with a year of funding. It..
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Dec. 22, 2023 | by MHDP Editor | Media Center | Blogs
By Charity Muturi and Amisa Rashid
Access to mental health services remains a significant challenge for over 116 million people across Africa. This is due to, among other challenges, cultural and spiritual beliefs, inadequate human resources and infrastructure, financing constraints, legal barriers as well as societal misconceptions.
Nevertheless, there is optimism, stemming from the proactive measures taken by various African governments and other administrative bodies. This..
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Dec. 22, 2023 | by MHDP Editor | Media Center | Press Releases
NAIROBI, December 22, 2023 – The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), in partnership with Wellcome, is set to unveil a new initiative in 2024 that aims to address existing gaps in our understanding of anxiety, depression and psychosis and improve evidence-based decisions making practice in Africa.
The Mental Health Data Prize – Africa is embarking on a transformative journey, harnessing existing data and data-driven insights to ignite innovation and reshape th..
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Dec. 22, 2023 | by MHDP Editor | Media Center | Press Releases
About APHRC
The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) is a leading Africa-based, African-led, international research institution headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. APHRC conducts policy-relevant research on population, health, education, urbanization, and related development issues in sub-Saharan Africa. Our vision is to transform African lives through research and we highly engage in evidence generation, strengthening research and related capacity in the African..
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