Partners Reflect on Integrated Care for NTDs at CBM Global Nigeria PARL Meeting
RedAid Nigeria is participating in the CBM Global Nigeria Partners’ Annual Reflection and Learning (PARL) Meeting currently taking place in Abuja. The three-day gathering brings together implementing organisations, technical partners, and programme teams working across disability inclusion, health systems strengthening, and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) programmes in Nigeria.
The meeting serves as a space for partners to review programme progress, share field experiences, examine implementation challenges, and identify practical ways to strengthen collaboration across projects supported by CBM Global Disability Inclusion.
Leading the team that is representing RedAid Nigeria at the meeting is Linda Ugwu (mhCAP-NTDs Project Manager), engaging with fellow partners on lessons emerging from integrated approaches to health care for persons affected by neglected tropical diseases.
Reflecting on Lessons from the mhCAP-NTDs Initiative
One of the key areas of shared learning among partners relates to the mhCAP-NTDs project, an initiative that explored how mental health support can be integrated into existing NTD programmes.
The project, titled “Strengthening Access to People-Centered Mental Health Care Services for People with NTDs (mhCAP-NTDs)”, was implemented between August 2023 and September 2025 through a national consortium coordinated by CBM Global Disability Inclusion and funded by the Anesvad Foundation.
Consortium partners included:
- RedAid Nigeria
- Health and Development Support Programme (HANDS)
- Impact Group
- IIDEA Nigeria
- The Leprosy Mission Nigeria
- University of Jos
- Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare
RedAid Nigeria will continue to share updates from the meeting and insights from our ongoing work supporting inclusive and people-centred health systems in Nigeria.
Across multiple project locations in Nigeria, the initiative tested an integrated care model that brought together mental health support, community engagement, and livelihood interventions within ongoing NTD programmes.
For RedAid Nigeria, implementation took place in Ogbaru Local Government Area in Anambra State and Ogoja Local Government Area in Cross River State, where programme activities focused on improving access to psychosocial support and strengthening community acceptance for persons affected by NTDs
Moving Beyond Treatment Alone
Neglected tropical diseases often leave behind more than physical symptoms. In many communities, people affected by NTDs experience social exclusion, stigma, and economic disruption, even after receiving medical treatment.
The mhCAP-NTDs initiative recognised that clinical treatment alone cannot fully address these realities. Through collaboration with frontline health workers, community leaders, and local support groups, the project explored practical ways to connect mental health services, peer support, livelihood opportunities, and community awareness activities within existing health programmes.
This integrated approach helped demonstrate how addressing mental wellbeing, dignity, and social participation can improve long-term outcomes for persons affected by NTDs. As partners reflect on programme implementation during the PARL meeting, discussions are helping to surface insights about what worked, what challenges emerged, and how similar models can be strengthened within Nigeria’s primary health care system.
A Shared Dissemination of Learning
The experiences and findings from the mhCAP-NTDs initiative have been compiled into a consortium-wide dissemination report developed by CBM Global Disability Inclusion. Rather than focusing on a single organisation or project location, the report brings together lessons, field observations, and implementation insights from all consortium partners involved in the project across Nigeria.
By documenting these experiences collectively, the dissemination aims to contribute to broader conversations on:
- integrating mental health services within NTD programmes
- strengthening community-based support systems
- addressing stigma and social exclusion linked to NTDs
- improving collaboration between public health programmes and community structures