Focusing on the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) pillar, there are many highlights and lessons of Uganda's frontline service providers fighting coronavirus stigma.
Importantly, a Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) pillar was purposively included in the ministry of Health-led Covid-19 national response strategy to handle behavioural change and stigma reduction interventions.
This has been a result of the MHPSS participatory and intensive health education on Covid-19 and has reduced the levels of anxiety and stigma in communities even though there was that isolated case in Kalangala where a recovered person was disowned by some village mates.
The MHPSS pillar has received considerable support from sister departments like Butabika national referral mental health hospital, Makerere University department of mental health, Uganda Counseling Association, among others.
In support of World Health Organization (WHO) guidance to countries, it is critical to integrate mental health psychosocial support into medical interventions in managing viral infectious diseases of Covid-19 magnitude because community engagement plays a significant role in preventing further spread and helps in addressing stigma that usually accompany such diseases due to myths and lack of reliable, factual and readily available information during the emergency phase.
