Africa: Mental Health Conditions Affect 150 Million in Africa Amid Insufficient Care Services

MSF
Mental Health Crisis is Brewing in Dadaab. A patients waits outside an MSF consultation room to be seen by a medic.
10 October 2025
World Health Organization Africa (Brazzaville)

Brazzaville — Nearly 150 million people in Africa are living with mental health conditions, with limited access to decentralized and integrated care, highlighting the region's mental health challenges, a new mental health dashboard launched today by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa shows.

Mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders are widespread in Africa, affecting individuals in every country and community. Despite growing recognition of mental health as a public health priority, services remain severely under-resourced, fragmented and inaccessible, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

Suicide is also a major concern, with a regional age-standardized suicide rate of 11.5 per 100 000 population. Alcohol consumption rates exceed 10 liters per capita in some countries, further exacerbating mental health risks.

Despite the scale of the challenge, the dashboard shows that mental health systems remain under-resourced, with only nine countries in the region having dedicated mental health budget lines. Access to care is limited, with many countries lacking national mental health policies and trained professionals.

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The dashboard--launched on World Mental Health Day which is being marked this year under the theme "Strengthening Mental Health Systems before, during and after disasters and emergencies"-- allows users to monitor mental health sustainable development goal indicators, assess country alignment with regional frameworks and explore country-specific profiles on mental health systems and resources.

The WHO Africa Mental Health Dashboard, accessible via WHO AFRO Mental Health Dashboard, consolidates key indicators into a single, interactive platform that enables users to track progress, identify gaps and align national efforts with regional and global targets. It is designed to support ministries of health, policymakers, WHO staff, technical partners and the public in making informed decisions and driving action. The dashboard features an AI-powered chatbot that simplifies complex insights for users, making the data more accessible.

This initiative is part of WHO Africa's broader commitment to strengthening data-driven health systems and promoting equitable access to care. By providing a one-stop shop for mental health data, WHO is helping build a healthier, more resilient future for Africa's 1 billion people.

Read the original article on WHO-AFRO.

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