Community Mental Health Programme (formerly Community Psychiatric Programme)

A network of clinics across 3 states, providing accessible, affordable, professional care to mentally ill people in their communities.

In a pioneering collaboration with the State Government and Enugu federal hospital, Amaudo staff co-ordinate a programme where trained Psychiatric Nurses run over fifty clinics, carry out home visits by motorcycle and provide treatment for people experiencing mental illness, before they become destitute.

The need for affordable accessible mental healthcare is not only great in Abia State, where Amaudo is situated but throughout Nigeria. Recognising this, Amaudo Itumbauzo and Amaudo UK have worked together to raise funds and arrange for the training of Community Psychiatric Nurses and Heads of local Health Departments in other states. Skills to provide training for hundreds of Village Health Workers in mental healthcare and associated human rights issues, as well as the opening of further clinics is the outcome of these residential training events which are part of The Mental Health Awareness Programme.

Exciting developments are currently taking place to expand the service in two other states using an outreach model in collaboration with Enugu federal hospital and the German charity CBM, hence the change in name to Community Mental Health Project (CMHP).

“Too often, countries are training more psychiatrists and investing in expensive mental hospitals and beds when the money would be better spent on psychiatric nurses and community care.”
Professor Prince, The Institute of Psychiatry

Elaine, [left] a nursing manager from London has been the volunteer coordinator of CMHP for 2 years. Blessing [centre] is the administrator who runs an income generation photocopy business for Amaudo from the office and Grace [right] is a state supervisor for the project visiting the CPNs every week, bringing medication and supplies.