Wits Postdoc Leads African Youth Mental Health Data Project
- FHS Communications
Dr Trust Gangaidzo, awarded a grant to lead the development of a Mental Health Data Platform for Young People (PAMHoYA).
Dr Trust Gangaidzo, a postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for Health Policy, Wits School of Public Health, was awarded a grant to lead the development of a Mental Health Data Platform for Young People (PAMHoYA). The project is funded under the Mental Health Data Prize Africa, an initiative of the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) in partnership with Wellcome (UK).
Dr Gangaidzo will lead the Africa-led project as Principal Investigator to a multidisciplinary research network comprising the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), Stellenbosch University, Sol Plaatje University, and University College London.
“PAMHoYA is not a technical exercise. It is about making mental health data visible, usable, and policy relevant. By reducing duplication, building capacity, and fostering collaboration, we aim to strengthen data systems and inform real improvements in mental health care and policy for young people,” says Dr Gangaifdzo.
Officially launched in June 2025 in Cape Town, with various partners, this collaboration is in response to the urgent need to strengthen mental health data systems in South Africa, where mental health conditions among young people aged 15–24 are common but poorly tracked.
Image from the project launch
This has created fragmented data and underdeveloped surveillance systems, which makes it harder to plan and deliver effective mental health services, leaving many young people without the support they need.
PAMHoYA will facilitate access to and synthesis of existing studies, support national estimates, highlight research gaps, and foster collaboration. It will also inform improvements in data systems, strengthen surveillance, guide intervention design, strengthen mental health policy, and support strategic resource allocation.