The CPMH’s seminar programme is an opportunity to share on-going work and invite broader participation in the Centre.

On 2 August 2022 the Alan J Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health hosted a seminar by the ARISE team. The project is led by co-principal investigators, Prof Katherine Sorsdahl (UCT) and Prof Ashraf Kagee (SU), and co-investigators Dr Claire van der Westhuizen (UCT) and Dr Rizwana Roomaney (SU). Ms Shaheema Allie is the PGDip course coordinator

Abstract

Mental disorders make an increasingly significant contribution to the burden of disease in African low- and middle-income countries, also increasing risk for a range of other health conditions and injuries, yet health systems are poorly resourced to address the problem. Although investment in mental health research capacity building in Africa has increased in recent years, disparities in these areas remain evident particularly in comparison to the substantial funding underpinning research and research training for infectious and other non-communicable diseases in the region. Thus, there is a need for mental health research capacity building in Africa, led by African public mental health researchers, to drive local research priorities, integrate mental health into infectious and non-communicable diseases primary healthcare and infectious/noncommunicable disease care, and retain precious human resources on the continent. The aim of ARISE is to strengthen and extend the postgraduate pipeline in African public mental health to build capacity for non-communicable disease research across the lifespan, building on the extensive capacity-building experience of CPMH and our African network.

In this seminar, the ARISE team will describe the formative work for the PGDip, the course design process and the programme which will be launched in January 2023. Applications are currently open for the nine PGDip fellowships available for 2023.

Please view the presentation below