Taking Mental Health Beyond Institutions into the Community: Lessons from Uganda’s Multisectoral Success

On 23 September 2025, the Government of Uganda’s Ministry of Health, in collaboration with StrongMinds, will host a high-level side event at the Permanent Mission of Uganda to the United Nations in New York. This event, held during the UN General Assembly High-Level Week and coinciding with the High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health, will highlight Uganda’s pioneering approach to taking mental health care beyond institutions and into the community. Since 2013, the Ministry of Health and StrongMinds have partnered to deliver an evidence-based, lay-provider group talk therapy model to treat depression across Uganda’s health, education, refugee, and prison systems. Together, they have reached over 722,000 people, with three-quarters achieving depression-free status — demonstrating the effectiveness and scalability of community-driven interventions.

Through a dynamic program of opening remarks, ministerial statements, and a panel discussion featuring government leaders, technical experts, and partners, the event will showcase key lessons learned from Uganda’s multisectoral integration of mental health services. Panelists will explore topics such as the role of community health workers in early detection and care, Uganda’s mental health policy reforms, and the benefits of multisectoral approaches that bring mental health into education, prisons, and local disease response systems. The discussion will also identify Uganda’s priorities and commitments for the High-Level Meeting Political Declaration and share practical, cost-effective approaches for scaling up services that other countries can adopt.

This side event will serve as a platform for peer-to-peer learning, donor engagement, and technical exchange. It will encourage member states and partners to embrace multisectoral, rights-based approaches to mental health and to invest in proven, culturally sensitive models that empower communities and improve population well-being.