Monrovia, Liberia – April 20, 2025—The Ministry of Health (MOH), through its Mental Health Unit and in collaboration with the County Health Teams of Bomi, Rivercess, and Sinoe, has successfully conducted mental health training sessions under the World Health Organization’s Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP). A total of 90 clinicians and screeners participated in the training aimed at bridging the mental health service gap in Liberia.

The mhGAP program, a flagship initiative by WHO, focuses on scaling up services for mental, neurological, and substance use (MNS) disorders, especially in low—and middle-income countries. The recently concluded training was guided by the mhGAP Intervention Guide Version 3.0, which Liberia proudly validated in 2024, becoming one of the first countries in Africa to do so.

These capacity-building sessions were designed to empower frontline health workers to identify and manage common mental health conditions using evidence-based interventions. Participants were trained to detect and provide basic care for conditions such as depression, psychosis, epilepsy, and substance use disorders, thereby expanding access to mental health services at the primary care level.

Speaking on the importance of the initiative, the Director of Mental Health, Dr. Moses Ziah II, reiterated the Ministry’s unwavering commitment to strengthening mental health services and reducing the treatment gap across the country.

“The Ministry of Health remains dedicated to ensuring that all Liberians—regardless of where they live—can access quality mental health care. Initiatives like mhGAP 3.0 are essential tools in achieving this goal,” said Dr. Ziah.

The Ministry extends its appreciation to the Government of Liberia, World Bank through its Performance-based Financing (PBF) program, and all partners for supporting the expansion of mental health services in Liberia and looks forward to replicating similar trainings in other counties shortly.