Grand Challenges Canada, in partnership with the UK National Institute of Health Research, is delighted to announce the relaunch of the Global Mental Health program.
TORONTO, May 2020 – Grand Challenges Canada is relaunching the Global Mental Health program with funding from Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) UK aid through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).
Mental disorders contribute to 14 percent of the global burden of disease worldwide; 75 percent of this burden occurs in low- and middle-income countries. However, only a small fraction of mental health needs in low- and middle-income countries are met due to a scarcity of resources and a shortage of trained professionals. These conditions limit an individual’s access to evidence-based treatments.
Strategies to identify and treat mental health conditions that are successful in high-income countries are often impractical, ineffective, and too resource-intensive to succeed in lower resource regions. The need for mental health resources in low-and middle-income countries is prominent, yet mental health services and funding consistently lags behind other health priorities.
The Global Mental Health program will focus on funding high impact innovations that improve treatments and expand access to care for people, especially youth, living with or at risk of mental disorders. The program will seek transformational, affordable, and accessible innovations that have the potential to be sustainable at a larger scale.
The program’s focus is in alignment with the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 3: ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages. The investment will help work towards a world stewarded by a generation of healthy and empowered individuals.
Grand Challenges Canada has supported one of the largest portfolios of global mental health innovations in the world, investing over $45.3 million CAD to support 95 projects in 31 low- and middle-income countries. The 95 projects are comprised of 64 proofs-of-concept and 31 Transition-to-Scale.
The program has worked with mental health experts, innovators, and youth with personal experience to develop the platform. The newly relaunched program will build on these past successes to:
- Invest in promising mental health innovations to scale up through our Transition-to-Scale program.
- Invest in the mental health needs of youth, particularly women and girls, through the program’s seed funding opportunities.
The Global Mental Health seed funding Request for Proposals will open May 19th, 2020.
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For more information, please visit the Global Mental Health program on the Grand Challenges Canada website or email ac.se1735238049gnell1735238049ahcdn1735238049arg.w1735238049ww@ht1735238049laehl1735238049atnem1735238049labol1735238049g1735238049.
About the Global Mental Health Program
The Global Mental Health program will focus on funding high impact innovations that improve treatments and/or expand access to care for people, especially youth, living with or at risk of mental disorders. The program seeks transformational, affordable, and accessible innovations that have the potential to be sustainable at a larger scale.
About Grand Challenges Canada
One of the largest impact-first investors in Canada, Grand Challenges Canada has supported a portfolio of over 1,250 innovations in 105 countries. Grand Challenges Canada estimates that these innovations have the potential to save up to 1.6 million lives and improve up to 51 million lives by 2030.
About National Institute of Health Research
National Institute of Health Research is Europe’s largest funder of health and care research and provide the people, facilities and technology that enables research to thrive. They are primarily funded by the Department of Health and Social Care, but also receive UK Aid funding to support research for people in low- and middle-income countries.
