The World Health Organization convened 75 mental health experts to discuss the social and mental health impacts of the Ebola epidemic in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone and ways to strengthen response plans in the event of a future Ebola outbreak.

The two-day forum on June 10 and 11 was held just outside of Monrovia, in Liberia, which was declared free of Ebola in early May. But the virus has yet to be contained in neighbouring Guinea and Sierra Leone, and mental health specialists say the psychological and social effects of the crisis in all three countries could linger for years.

The conference brought together experts from the 3 countries’ Ministries of Health and Social Welfare, local and international organizations, WHO and other UN and donor agencies, as well as mental health advocates and practitioners working in the affected countries.

“We wanted to draw on the rich and recent experiences of frontline staff to look at what worked and what didn’t in addressing the epidemic and use this knowledge to create a roadmap for mental health and psychosocial responses if similar outbreaks occur in the future,” says Dr. Mark van Ommeren, WHO’s focal point for mental health in emergencies. “At the same time, we’re also looking to support the 3 governments in strengthening and developing their mental health systems in the long-term.”

Participants at the forum shared achievements and challenges in providing psychosocial assistance to those hardest hit by the epidemic — survivors, family members, orphans, health care staff and other frontline support workers. They discussed lessons learned in tackling the grief, stigma, fear and other effects of the epidemic. They also reviewed and evaluated the recovery and long-term mental health strategies of the 3 countries.

Among the many cross-cutting issues raised by the delegates were the need to engage communities before, during and after health disasters, invest in training and supervision of mental health and psychosocial workers at all levels, increase and improve care for orphans and other impacted children and integrate mental health and psychosocial interventions into the public health response at the outset of a health emergency.

WHO plans to finalize a “Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Minimum Response Framework for Ebola Outbreaks” on the basis of this meeting.

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For more information, please contact:

KINCAID Janet
Email: kincaidj [at] who.intt (kincaidj[at]who[dot]int)