An ad hoc committee will plan and host a public workshop inviting key stakeholders to discuss opportunities to strengthen healthcare services for mental, neurological and substance use (MNS) disorders in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

The workshop will specifically focus on strategies to ensure the adequate training of the workforce to recognize and treat MNS disorders. The focus of the workshop will be on disorders with the greatest disease burdens, focusing on depression, schizophrenia, epilepsy, and alcohol abuse. Specifically participants will be invited to:

• Assess the future needs of MNS health care workers based on provider type, treatment environment and MNS disorder.

• • Examine the workforce needs for effective delivery of treatments in a typical African district health care system
  • Consider core competencies and performance requirements necessary to improve workforce needs for MNS disorders (e.g. diagnosis, prescribing of medicines, and patient monitoring).

• Discuss potential mechanisms for task-shifting and task-sharing among provider types and across treatment locations.

• Explore potential methods for acquiring and maintaining core competencies

o Explore existing and future opportunities for partnerships around:

o Development of programs to train current providers to reach core competencies

o Implementation of training programs

• Consider tangible next steps for dissemination of the identified workforce core competencies and performance requirements.

The committee will develop the agenda, select and invite speakers and discussants, and moderate the discussions. An individually authored workshop summary will be prepared by a designated rapporteur based on the information gathered and the discussions held during the workshop in accordance with institutional policy and procedures.