CASE STUDY INCREASING ACESS TO HEALTHCARE AMONG PERSONS WITH MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS IN ZANZIBAR

The abstract is a case study highlighting initiatives designed by the Zanzibar Psychiatric Association (ZPA) to serve persons with mental disorders (MHDs) confined indoors. The purpose of the program was to increase access to healthcare among confined MHDs. This was achieved through conducting outreach programs aimed at community awareness creation on MHDs, providing first aids to the patients and referring to the MHDs designed hospitals. Moreover, the program focused on advocating for increased local health budget prioritizing on mental health. A total of 63 patients reached and provided with first aids and referred to the hospital, meanwhile 200 people form the community were educated on MHDs. Limited funding to operationalize interventions fueled by increased demands are some of the key challenges. We urge like-minded partners to join hands in our initiatives in providing experts, technical advises and other resources so that we can scale-up interventions in Zanzibar