8th Malawi Mental Health Research and Practice Development Conference

Kamuzu University of Health Sciences’ Department of Psychiatry & Mental Health held the 8th Malawi Mental Health Research and Practice Development Conference under the theme “Mental Health in Malawi: Gathering Evidence Across the Lifespan”. The conference took place from 15th – 16th September, 2022 at Amaryllis Hotel in Blantyre. 

The purpose of the conference was to provide a forum for the dissemination and sharing of research and practice developments in mental health in Malawi and neighbouring countries. 

It was a multidisciplinary conference for all cadres working in mental health care such as Nurses, Clinical officers, Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Occupational Therapists, Health Sciences students, policymakers, community members, mental health care users and carers.

Speaking after the conference, Dr. Kazione Kulisewa, Head of the Psychiatry Mental Health Department at KUHeS said the conference had discussed very important topics in the mental health sector and bemoaned the limited funding the Malawi government gives to mental health activities.

“Such conferences as these are of great significance as they connect policy makers and the researchers and this conference has revealed a lot of gaps that Malawi as a country is neglecting in terms of mental health” Said Kulisewa.

The two-day conference had over 40 oral and poster presentations.

The conference had international collaborators from the United States of America, Scotland and Tanzania.