I am one of three psychiatrists in Bukavu

The mental health workforce gap in low- and middle-income countries is very worrying. In low-income countries, the rate of mental health workers can be as low as 2 per 100 000 population, compared with more than 70 in high-income countries. This is in stark contrast with needs, given that 1 in every 10 person is estimated to need mental health care at any one time. Less than half of the 139 countries that have instituted mental health policies and plans, have these aligned with human rights conventions which stress the importance of transition from psychiatric institution to community-based services and the participation of people with mental disorders in decisions concerning them. And all too often, when mental health plans are made, they are not supported by adequate human and financial resources.

In this episode, Carine Weiss speaks with Achille Bapolisi, one of three psychiatrists in Bukavu, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Achille talks about the need to provide more psycho-social services and more support for his hometown and country, which is suffering from traumatic experiences of war. He talks about the need to create safe spaces to talk about feelings and traumatic experiences - not only for health workers, but for men and women of all ages.