Powering a New Era of Mental Health in Africa Through Data

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 on the continent. Spearheaded by the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) in partnership with Wellcome, the Mental Health Data Prize Africa (MHDPA) has sparked an unprecedented wave of solutions rooted in local realities and driven by evidence.

“This prize demonstrates our commitment to building a world where no one is held back by mental health problems,” said Ekin Bolukbasi, the Data Prize Manager, Wellcome. “It aims to advance mental health science by transforming how existing challenges are addressed in Africa by using data insights or tools for prevention, management, and treatment. Together, we have the opportunity to improve understanding of the trajectory and resolution of common mental disorders for a better and more resilient future for all.”

At the heart of the MHDPA is a powerful ambition: to harness Africa’s rich but underutilized data to improve mental health outcomes across diverse African settings. Launched in December 2023, MHDPA offered £200,000 in funding to each of the 10 winning teams, selected for innovation, scalability, and context-specific approaches.

But this was not just a funding competition. It was the ignition of a pan-African movement for mental health innovation.

The journey began with a five-month virtual capacity-building program, one of the largest of its kind on the continent, where the group of 2000 gained advanced skills in data science, artificial intelligence, causal inference, and evidence-based policymaking. The participants independently regrouped into multidisciplinary teams to collaboratively design and develop solutions that would be eligible for the final prize selection.

The call for proposals was officially opened in July 2024 and closed in August. The call attracted an impressive number, one hundred and eleven, of high-quality, evidence-based, and innovative applications reflecting a wide range of perspectives from different countries across Africa. Following a rigorous three-stage review, 10 projects stood out for their creativity, feasibility, and potential impact:

  1. Digitizing Psychosis Care in Uganda
  2. CO-LUMINATE: Youth Mental Health and Social Stress
  3. Group Therapy and Depression in HIV+ Patients
  4. Natural Language Processing for Mental Health Service Improvement in Africa
  5. Digital Mental Health Solutions in Western Cape
  6. AfriCAT-DA: Adaptive Testing for Youth Mental Health
  7. Understanding Mental Health in Rural and Urban Malawi
  8. PAMHoYA: Mental Health Data Platform for Youth
  9. Uganda’s Digital Leap: DHIS2 for Mental Health Insight
  10. Youth Mental Health Innovation through Data and Tech

From mobile apps that support HIV+ patients in therapy groups to advanced AI models improving service delivery, these projects represent the frontier of mental health innovation in Africa. Each will be implemented over 12 months, with support from a growing community of practice that prioritizes equity, co-creation, and sustainability.

Beyond the awards, the MHDPA has sparked a broader shift: placing African expertise and lived experience at the center of global mental health conversations. As these projects roll out, APHRC and its partners are tracking the ripple effects on policy, service delivery, and everyday lives. The true prize lies ahead: a healthier, more resilient Africa where no one is left behind because of their mental health.