Psychiatrists have decried inadequate funding for mental health research in Africa amid an escalating burden of mental health conditions, warning that limited investment is undermining efforts to develop evidence-based interventions and expand access to care.

They disclosed that most African countries spend less than $0.50 per person annually on mental health, while Nigeria allocates only 0.1 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to mental health research. The experts called for increased investment to strengthen research capacity, address workforce shortages and develop interventions suited to the continent’s needs.

They made the call at the International Yaba Research Conference organised by the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos.

Speaking at the conference, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Olugbenga Owoeye, said mental health research in Africa was at a critical crossroads, with the region facing a growing burden of disorders alongside severe systemic neglect.

Owoeye said that despite the high burden of mental health conditions in sub-Saharan Africa, most countries allocate less than one per cent of their health budgets to mental health. He described the resulting average expenditure of less than $0.50 per person annually as grossly inadequate to address rising cases of depression, psychosis, substance use disorders and other mental health conditions.

According to him, the funding shortfall has contributed to critical workforce shortages, with many regions having fewer than one psychiatric worker for every 200,000 to 500,000 people, leaving millions without access to appropriate care.

He further noted that Africa records one of the highest suicide rates globally, at 11 per 100,000 people, compared with the global average of nine per 100,000. Between 75 and 90 per cent of people with mental health conditions, he added, receive no treatment.

He stressed that more than 70 per cent of affected persons first seek help from traditional and faith healers. He warned that this often results in delayed diagnosis, prolonged suffering and unpredictable outcomes.

Owoeye said the continent accounts for only one per cent of global clinical trials and two per cent of trials in low- and middle-income countries, despite carrying a significant share of the global disease burden.

Similarly, the President of the African Association of Psychiatrists, Prof. Taiwo Lateef, said Africa bears about 10 per cent of the global mental health burden but contributes less than two per cent of global mental health research.

Lateef stressed the need to strengthen research that reflects the continent’s realities, noting that interventions developed elsewhere must be adapted to African contexts to achieve meaningful outcomes.

He called for greater investment in biological psychiatry, innovation and platforms that support mental health research across Africa.

The need to increase research funding was further emphasised by the Chairperson of the conference, Prof. Mashudat Bello-Mojeed, who disclosed that Nigeria currently allocates 0.1 per cent of its GDP to mental health research, compared with 2.5 per cent reportedly allocated to research in Western countries.

Bello-Mojeed described Nigeria’s allocation as grossly inadequate, arguing that the funding available was insufficient to generate the local evidence needed to inform policies and interventions.

She recommended that Nigeria and other African countries increase funding for mental health research to at least 2.5 per cent of GDP.

By Quadri Wahab