New Grant announcement: Testing the effectiveness of using mobile phones to provide Psychotherapy in Uganda.

New Grant announcement: Testing the effectiveness of using mobile phones to provide Psychotherapy in Uganda.

Rocket Health, in partnership with Makerere University, has been awarded a USD 200,000 grant under the USAID-DIV program to test the effectiveness of using mobile phones in psychotherapy. This grant is part of the 26 grants awarded by the Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) for breakthrough solutions in 2022.

With Uganda’s healthcare system stretched to the bone, the scarcity of health professionals especially specialist services like psychiatry, innovations that help address the access question are very much needed. Working with faculty at Makerere University, department of psychiatry, we shall conduct a randomized control trial to test the acceptability, feasibility, and effectiveness of using laypersons as the first point contact for mental health consultations by phone from communities. These laypersons will be supported by psychiatry specialists through Tele-platforms.

Learnings from this pilot will be leveraged to design larger mental health support packages for private health insurance beneficiaries in Uganda and wider markets.

USAID-DIV program Awards https://divportal.usaid.gov/s/article/DIV-FY21-Award-Announcement

Telehealth in Uganda https://www.worldsbest.rehab/uganda-telehealth/

Written by Kyokutamba Esther and Dr. Kamulegeya Louis