From June 6 to 8, 2023, the Ministry of Health of Rwanda organized an event entitled "Integrating the Response to Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) and Mental Health (MH) in the Context of Building Resilient Health Systems in Africa" followed by a technical workshop, with the participation of representatives from the governments of Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. The event and the workshop were prepared by the World Bank Group (WBG), with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and with collaboration from United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and other multilateral agencies and nonprofit organizations. The workshop was under funding provided by the Access Accelerated (AA) Trust Fund. The full program of the event is included at the end of this summary report.The rate of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in the African Region increased by 67 percent between 1990 and 2017. In 2019 NCDs were responsible for 37 percent of African deaths, and by the year 2030, they will be the main cause of the burden of disease in the Region. The incidence of mental health (MH) challenges increased by 13 percent in the Region since 2017. In addition, Africa is experiencing high rates of suicide and alcohol abuse, especially among young people. Yet, the average per capita expenditure on MH provision in African countries is US$0.46, with only 1.6 health professionals per 100,000 population working in this field. Primary health care and community-based services are essential strategies to support health systems and to avoid the consequences of early mortality and the social and economic losses brought on by the increased incidence of NCDs and MH. The challenges imposed by NCDs require a stronger collaboration among African countries to see how policies developed in different countries could be adaptative to other regional needs and contexts. Countries participating in the workshop shared some achievements and discussed the challenges ahead for the integration of the provision of mental health services and NCDs care at the first level of care
