12-16 April, 2021. - In Guyana, nurses account for more than 60% of the health workforce and are the main providers of care at the primary health care level. Recognizing the imperative to provide services for people with mental, neurological, and substance use disorders (MNS), and to bridge the gap between available resources and the large need for these services, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in collaboration with the Mental Health Unit of the Ministry of Health, commenced the first round of capacity building for nursing tutors and graduate nurses on the World Health Organization’s mhGAP Intervention Guide for mental, neurological and substance use disorders for non-specialist health settings (mhGAP-IG), in April 2021.
Over the decades, PAHO and the World Health Organization (WHO) have been working with countries to:
- strengthen advocacy, effective leadership and governance for mental health, neurological and substance use disorders;
- provide comprehensive, integrated and responsive mental health and social care services in community-based settings for early recognition and evidence-based management of childhood mental disorders;
- implement strategies for the promotion of psychosocial well-being, the prevention of mental disorders, and for promoting the human rights of people with mental disorders; and
- strengthen information systems, evidence, and research.
The mhGAP-IG provides evidence-based guidance on the assessment and management of priority mental, neurological and substance use conditions in non-specialist settings. The Guide also considers issues related to adolescents and includes specific modules on child and adolescent mental health, behavioural disorders and self-harm/suicide. It can be used by doctors, nurses, other health workers, health planners and managers.
The five-day capacity building session was conducted from 12-16 April. The participants consisted mainly of nursing tutors attached to the Charles Roza School of Nursing in Region 10 of the country, and graduate nurses providing care at the primary health care level. By the end of May 2021, similar capacity building activities will be conducted in two other regions of the country that house nursing schools. It is anticipated that at the end of the capacity building series, a course on the mhGAP will be developed and integrated into the academic curriculum for student nurses in the country.
The mhGAP-IG was adapted to Guyana’s unique local situation. Users can select a subset of the priority conditions or interventions to adapt and implement, guided by the national context. It begins with Essential Care and Practices, which are a set of good clinical practices and general principles to guide the interactions of health care providers when assisting people seeking mental health care. To date, 409 health care professionals in the country have been trained in the use of this guide. It is anticipated that the mhGAP-IG will continue to be a key technical tool to deliver care for people with MNS disorders in Guyana, leading us to achieving the goal of universal health coverage.