MeHPriC

MeHPriC exists to strengthen medical personnel's knowledge and skills in mental health care, enable early identification, intervention and referral, support appropriate medication management for common mental disorders in government health centres, and build mental health into primary care itself.

Changing the narrative

In Nigeria, the health facility nearest to most people is a primary health centre. But for someone living with a mental health condition, that has not been true — PHCs were not designated as points of care for mental health services.

Across many areas, residents live with untreated depression, anxiety and trauma, made worse by care that could previously only be found in secondary, tertiary or private facilities. The effect on families is profound: reduced productivity, deeper poverty, and a cycle of neglect that strains an already overstretched system.

MeHPriC changes that by bringing comprehensive mental health services directly into PHCs in Lagos. Training health workers at PHC level, telehealth services, community-based programmes and mental health education together create sustainable mental health services inside the communities that need them.

By working through existing community access points, we connect people in remote areas to trained mental health professionals, so geography stops being a barrier to getting help. Local health workers and volunteers are trained to deliver in-person support and to run wellness programmes that last.