Uganda spends a lot of time talking about what it needs to invest in to secure its future. We talk about roads, electricity, technology, agriculture, education, skills and jobs. We talk about Uganda's young population and the opportunity it presents. We talk about building a stronger economy and creating the human capital needed to drive that growth. But there is one investment we still struggle to treat with the same seriousness: mental health. The question is not simply whether Uganda can...

When we talk about mental health in Uganda, we often begin with the health system. We talk about the shortage of mental health professionals, the need for more services, the pressure on facilities and the importance of increasing funding. All of these things matter. But there is another question we need to ask: where do people actually experience their mental health, and where are they most likely to seek help when something is wrong? For most people, the answer is not a psychiatric hospital....

Uganda is a young country. More than seven out of every ten Ugandans are below the age of 30, and we often hear this described as one of our greatest opportunities. We talk about the demographic dividend, the future workforce, the next generation of leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators, and the contribution that young people can make to Uganda's social and economic development. But there is a question we do not ask often enough: what happens when a young country is not doing enough to...