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Partnerships in mental healthcare service delivery in low-resource settings: developing an innovative network in rural Nepal

BIBHAV Acharya
et al
January 2017

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Abstract

Background

Mental illnesses are the largest contributors to the global burden of non-communicable diseases. However, there is extremely limited access to high quality, culturally-sensitive, and contextually-appropriate mental healthcare services. This situation persists despite the availability of interventions with proven efficacy to improve patient outcomes. A partnerships network is necessary for successful program adaptation and implementation.

Partnerships network

We describe our partnerships network as a case example that addresses challenges in delivering mental healthcare and which can serve as a model for similar settings. Our perspectives are informed from integrating mental healthcare services within a rural public hospital in Nepal. Our approach includes training and supervising generalist health workers by off-site psychiatrists. This is made possible by complementing the strengths and weaknesses of the various groups involved: the public sector, a non-profit organization that provides general healthcare services and one that specializes in mental health, a community advisory board, academic centers in high- and low-income countries, and bicultural professionals from the diaspora community.

Conclusions

We propose a partnerships model to assist implementation of promising programs to expand access to mental healthcare in low- resource settings. We describe the success and limitations of our current partners in a mental health program in rural Nepal.

The promise and the reality: a mental health workforce perspective on technology-enhanced youth mental health service delivery

ORLOWSKI, Simone
LAWN, Sharon
MATTHEWS, Ben
et al
October 2016

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Digital technologies show promise for reversing poor engagement of youth (16–24 years) with mental health services. In particular, mobile and internet based applications with communication capabilities can augment face-to-face mental health service provision. Results of in-depth qualitative data drawn from various stakeholders involved in provision of youth mental health services in one Australian rural region are described. Data were obtained using focus groups and semi-structured interviews with regional youth mental health clinicians, youth workers and support/management staff and analysed via inductive thematic analysis. Six main themes were identified: young people in a digital age, personal connection, power and vulnerability, professional identity, individual factors and organisational legitimacy. 

 

DOI: 10.1186/s12913-016-1790-y

Towards equitable access to medicines for the rural poor : analyses of insurance claims reveal rural pharmacy initiative triggers price competition in Kyrgyzstan

WANING, Brenda
et al
December 2009

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This article examines medicines price competition that ensued in a rural village in Kyrgyzstan after the opening of a small network of non-profit pharmacies created and managed by an NGO. While the rural pharmacies were created to increase access to medicines in villages where no pharmacies existed, the project had unexpected, substantial spillover effects, spurring medicines price reductions in pharmacies quite far away

A community-based health education programme for bio-environmental control of malaria through folk theatre (Kalajatha) in rural India

GHOSH, Susanta K
et al
December 2006

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Kalajatha is a popular, traditional art form of folk theatre depicting various life processes of a local socio-cultural setting. It is an effective medium of mass communication in the Indian sub-continent especially in rural areas. Using this medium, an operational feasibility health education programme was carried out for malaria control. This study was carried out under the primary health care system involving the local community and various potential partners

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