Child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) is an urgent yet persistently overlooked issue in the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) region, demanding greater attention from governments and donors. In the ESA region, children and young people grow up amid multiple overlapping crises – extreme poverty, inequality, violence, exclusion, stigma and climate or food insecurity – all of which heighten the risk of mental health challenges. If left unaddressed, can significantly undermine children’s development, education, participation and long-term health and wellbeing.
Recognizing the strategic role of schools as entry points for mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), the UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) commissioned this situational analysis to understand the current landscape of school-based MHPSS. The study reviewed policy frameworks, implementation practices and linkages with primary health care, aiming to identify gaps and inform strategic action to strengthen advocacy, programme design, workforce development and cross-sector coordination.
The analysis applied a mixed-methods approach, combining a regional desk review, an online survey with data from 21 UNICEF country offices (COs), 15 key informant interviews (KIIs) and four focus group discussions with stakeholders, including young people