Liberia, the first African republic, has a population of 3.5 million people. The country lies on the west coast of Africa and shares common boundary with Sierra Leone, Guinea and Cote d’Ivoire. The country’s only psychiatrist, Dr. Benjamin Harris, faces a herculean task. There are several mental health clinicians who are nationally recognized.  
The government of Liberia is partnering with NGOs and INGOs that are offering mental health care in an attempt to address the country’s diverse range of mental health problems. Liberia hopes to achieve this through an instrument known as the National Mental Health Policy.  This policy reflects the commitment to develop a system that incorporates all areas of health and health delivery.
Many sufferers of mental illness in Liberia are not properly cared for. A whole lot of them don’t have access to Medicare while at the same time lack other basic needs.

Liberia`s Current Mental Health Status
At present, there is only one mental health hospital in Liberia. This only hospital is located near the capital, in Paynesville City. Not many people have access to this facility.   The urban areas of the country have limited trained manpower to cater to the mental health needs of our people.  Psychotropic drugs for people with mental illness are in short supply when found.
Carter Center is partnering by training mental health clinicians to help skill up professional manpower in mental health area.  Even though the national budget is low for mental health, the Ministry of Health (MOH) is collaborating with implementing partners to address the needs of mental health situations in Liberia.
To date, the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital conducts mother to child psychiatric program and provides treatment for individuals and groups as well as family therapies to the elderly with mental health problems.

MhLAP Liberia
Through the support of Dr. Benjamin Harris the only psychiatrist in Liberia, mhLap came into the Country. Dr. Oye Gureje the founder of mhLAP in West Africa first visited Liberia in October 2011 to the plant root of mhLap in Liberia. Immediately after his visit an office was established and active activities began in February 2012. The country Facilitator is Mrs. Sametta Thomas, a professional Social Worker.
The objective of mhLap-Liberia is to conduct intensive advocacy on issues of mental health in Liberia and instigate the legislation of policies in this direction.

Since the program the following activities have been conducted:

• Conducted a research in three counties to gather data for the preparation of the situation analysis.
• Collaborating with the mental health team at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. This leads to participating in regular coordination meetings.
• Have initiated the process of forming a mental health stakeholders Council for mhLap in Liberia.
• Have indentified 5 secondary schools within which the first set of awareness session will be held.
• Have identified one national radio station to utilize in conducting media awareness.

Challenges:
Since its establishment mhLap Liberia has experienced some challenges along the way.

• Limited resources for transportation to cover the entire country in the startup activities.
• Limited cooperation from other partners in obtaining information – because the program is still new and unknown in the country.

Looking Ahead
In the months of August and September, mhLAP Liberia will be conducting the following activities and programs:

• Planning activities for the celebration of the World Mental Health day;
• Implementing programs and activities for the World Mental Health Day;
• Conducting awareness on mental health issues in schools. The awareness will be focused on three effects of drugs abuse among students and to provide basic information on epilepsy as a common mental illness experienced among pupils;
• Conducting talk show on issues of “Depression” – which is the 2012 theme for world mental health day; and
• Working along with other partners to plan activities for the celebration of the world mental health day in Liberia.
  
  
  Updates on mhLAP activities in Liberia
  
  Survival Reports Liberia

MhLAP – Liberia Contact:
Mrs. Sametta Thomas
Country Facilitator mhLap –Liberia
Randall Street, Monrovia, Liberia
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Cell #: 0886514547