BasicNeeds

BasicNeeds is a global mental health organisation, which works with people with mental illness or epilepsy in the developing world to alleviate their poverty and help them secure their basic rights.

The organisation was established 2000, by Chris Underhill MBE, who had worked with mental health organisations in Africa for over 25 years and arrived on the continent in the early 1970s with Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO). BasicNeeds was a response to the lack of real mental health care in lower and middle income countries. Led by Chris Underhill, BasicNeeds developed a new approach called the Model for Mental Health and Development,[1] to accommodate lack of national government action in this area of healthcare. BasicNeeds started its work in India in 2000 and quickly expanded to Sri Lanka later that year. Since its foundation until now the organisation has helped over 609,000 people with mental illness or epilepsy as well as their families and carers in India, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Lao PDR, Vietnam, Nepal, China, Pakistan and South Sudan.[2]

Background

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) more than 450 million people suffer from mental disorders.[3] A WHO report [4] noted that low- and middle-income countries’ provision of mental health services is minimal. Many do not invest in mental health care at all, and one third of the global population live in countries that allocate less than 1% of their total health budget to mental health.[5] There was a huge lack of community facilities, and many individuals received no real care, but were merely placed in institutions where they were often physically chained and abused.

BasicNeeds was set up because of the factors which the WHO report highlighted, and through its programmes attempts to ensure that mental health is given due attention. In 2000, BasicNeeds launched its first programme in south India. Work began with consultation of those who had mental disorders, their families and carers, non-governmental organisations, mental health specialists, and government officials. This initial consultation aimed to find out what the problems were, and to create some initial ideas for developing solutions.

These initial consultations in India made those involved in BasicNeeds’ set up realise that the medical and socio-economic issues related to mental health could not be separated, but must be dealt with concurrently, if any change was to be real and sustainable.

BasicNeeds Model for Mental Health Development

BasicNeeds works using a specific model for mental health development, devised by founder Chris Underhill, and pioneered and tested in India by D.M. Naidu, recognises both the lack of medical provision for those with mental illness in developing countries, but also the lack of presence of the third sector and the community in their rehabilitation into everyday life, once the medical issues are conquered. BasicNeeds’ Model addresses these problems by creating a sustainable programme of mental health care and treatment. The Model consists of five inter-linking modules:

  1. Capacity building
  2. Community Mental Health
  3. Livelihoods
  4. Research
  5. Collaboration

The BasicNeeds Model for Mental Health and Development is a holistic method for providing mental health services in developing countries. The Model helps ensure that change resulting from medical treatment is sustainable by improving the social marginalisation and poverty associated with mental illness and epilepsy. This includes helping people get back to work, but also providing support to their carers and families, and educating communities about mental health. The aim of the Model is to demonstrate that cost-effective community mental health care can be introduced into poor communities in developing countries and that mentally ill people can advocate for and secure their own human rights.

Awards

In 2014, Chris Underhill was recognised for his contribution to the field of mental health by being selected as a Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur of the year. The award gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to participate in various events and initiatives of the World Economic Forum.[6]

In 2013, Chris also received the esteemed Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship.[7] Each year the Skoll Foundation presents the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship to a highly selective group of outstanding individuals from hundreds of applications. The award marked the significant contribution made by Underhill to the field of global mental health through BasicNeeds.

In 2012, Chris was elected as a Senior Ashoka Fellow [8]

In 2011, elected Mayor of Leamington Spa, Alan Wilkinson, chose BasicNeeds as one of his three official charities for his year in office.[9] BasicNeeds was also 'highly commended' by the Charity Awards in 2011.[10]

Countries of operation

Country Start Total beneficiaries
 Ghana 2002 120,181
 Uganda 2003 130,548
 Tanzania 2003 124,638
 Sri Lanka 2001 47,047
 Laos 2007 7,449
 India 2001 85,377
 Kenya 2005 73,431
   Nepal 2010 7,962
 Vietnam 2010 11,660
 China 2011 1,580
 Pakistan 2012 8,044

References

  1. ↑ http://www.basicneeds.org/about-us/
  2. ↑ http://www.basicneeds.org/where-we-work/
  3. ↑ http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs220/en/index.html
  4. ↑ WHO. "The World Health Report 2001 - Mental Health: New Understanding, New Hope". Archived from the original on 30 May 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  5. ↑ Saxena, S; Sharan, P. Garrido, M & Saraceno, B (2006). "World Health Organization's Mental Health Atlas 2005: Implications for policy development". World Psychiatry 5 (3): 179–184. PMC 1636128. PMID 17139355. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  6. ↑ "The Social Entrepreneurs of the Year 2014". Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  7. ↑ "Skoll Foundation Announces 2013 Award Winners". Skoll Foundation. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  8. ↑ http://uk.ashoka.org/fellow/chris-underhill
  9. ↑ "Mayor's Charities of the Year". Leamington Spa Town Council. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  10. ↑ "The Charity Awards 2011". Civil Society. Retrieved 10 June 2011.

External links