Representatives of the MEGA project coordinator organization visited Lusaka, Zambia, in late May 2018. The purpose of the visit was to meet all team members from the University of Zambia (UNZA) and Lusaka Apex Medical University (LAMU), to plan the MEGA project partner meeting that took place in August 2018 and to conduct a clinical expert panel interview in Chilenje Level 1 hospital.
Project Coordinator Mari Lahti and Project Investigator Joonas Korhonen had a productive time with the UNZA and LAMU teams. They had the opportunity to visit both universities and hold meetings with the partners. In addition, the UNZA team had arranged visits to the emergency ward, medical-surgical ward and cancer hospital of the university hospital.
UNZA had also organized an opportunity for the TUAS team to spend an afternoon in Chainama mental health hospital. The visitors were able to meet the director and discuss the future needs in mental health screening and patient care in Zambia. They were also invited to visit female and male acute wards, talk to nurses and meet patients.
Based on this visit to a first-level hospital and a mental health hospital, it is obvious that there is an urgent need to screen and assess the mental health issues on primary health care level, which is in accordance with the UN and WHO agendas.
