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Advancing Mental Health Leadership in Africa: A Public Health Approach through the Africa CDC Mental Health Leadership Programme – one year on

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Background Mental health service is a critical yet often overlooked element of the health system. In Africa, the service is often seriously handicapped by the scarcity of adequately trained leaders to drive change. In 2024, Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) launched the Mental Health Leadership Programme (MHLP) with the aim to strengthen mental health leadership in the continent through the acquisition of public health competencies. This commentary describes the design of the Programme as well as the lessons learnt over one year of implementation, including the initial outputs and outcomes. Main text The MHLP is structured around four pillars: the Africa CDC Kofi Annan Fellowship Mental Health track, mental health in the Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP), Mental Health Short Courses, and networking and engagement by Civil Society Organizations (CSO) and people with lived experience. In total, the Programme has trained or is currently training 301 fellows and participants, consisting of 10 Kofi Annan Global Health Fellows, 36 FETP trainees, and 255 public mental health short course participants. Additionally, the Programme has mapped the training needs of 465 civil society organizations and organizations of persons with psychosocial disabilities. Conclusion The MHLP is equipping a diverse range of stakeholders with the knowledge, skills, and approaches needed to address priority mental health challenges in Africa such as improving domestic financing, updating outdated mental health legislation, and expanding access to evidence-based mental health services through integration into primary healthcare based on the first year of implementation evidence. By integrating mental health into public health training and promoting cross-sectoral collaboration, the Programme aim to build leaders that will contribute to systemic reforms, ensure accountability, and foster a sustainable network for mental health champions across Africa. This paper recommends strengthening the established pillars of the MHLP, alongside developing a continental master’s degree programme for global mental health at African universities. Also, the paper recommends prioritizing the implementation, monitoring, and institutionalization of policies and frameworks aimed at sustaining mental health system strengthening.

Source: SSM - Health Systems

DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmhs.2026.100325