Businessman Patrick Bitature calls for a fundamental shift on Mental Illness Response.  

Stakeholders in the health sector have raised concerns oh how mental health patients are handled in Uganda especially on practical, collaborative approaches aimed at to easing pressure on Uganda’s national referral hospital for mental health while strengthening community-based systems of care.

During an engagement with stakeholders organized by You Belong Uganda at Protea Hotel, Businessman Patrick Bitature, The Patron of YouBelong Uganda, called for a fundamental shift in how Uganda responds to mental illness. He noted that not every patient requires long-term institutional care and emphasized the importance of equipping families and communities to support recovery. 

“The true measure of a society is not how it treats its strongest members, but how it treats its most vulnerable. Every person living with mental illness is someone’s son, daughter, and brother, sister, mother or father. They deserve not our fear, but our compassion; not our rejection, but our support; not isolation but belonging. Together, let us build communities where healing is possible, hope is restored, and every person knows that they belong” he said 

He observed that Butabika Hospital, originally designed for approximately 550 beds, is currently accommodating more than 1,000 patients. He also highlighted the compounding effects of alcohol and substance use, as well as the persistent stigma that discourages families from caring for affected relatives at home.

“As Patron of YouBelong, an organization founded on a simple but powerful belief: every person, regardless of their mental health condition, belongs in a family, belongs in a community, and belongs in society. Mental health has become one of the most pressing public health issues of our time. The burden is especially heavy among our young people. We are seeing increasing levels of depression, anxiety, hopelessness, substance abuse and emotional distress. Alcohol and drug abuse have become major drivers of mental illness, particularly among the youth. At Butabika Hospital, approximately 30 percent of admitted patients are reported to have challenges related to alcohol or substance abuse” he added

Dr Patrick bitature with Monsignor David Cappo

Monsignor David Cappo, Chief Executive of YouBelong Uganda, underscored the need for cross-sector collaboration and a sustained commitment to restoring dignity to vulnerable people. He said the roundtable was intended to generate practical ideas for reducing the hospital population over the next three to four years through a joint plan that meaningfully includes people with lived experience.

Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Health’s Department of Non-Communicable Diseases, Dr Kalani described the congestion at Butabika as a health-system challenge rather than an isolated hospital issue. He pointed to rising rates of mental illness and increasing demand for services, both of which are placing strain on infrastructure, staffing, and quality of care. He stressed that long-term solutions will require coordinated action across government sectors, communities, and the private sector to reduce relapse and improve support after discharge.

Kenneth Ayesiga, Team Leader at YouBelong Uganda, outlined the YouBelongHome programme and its role in supporting patients before and after discharge. The model includes identifying individuals ready for discharge, engaging families, and preparing households for reintegration through psychoeducation, family mapping, and relapse awareness. He noted that successful recovery depends not only on returning a patient home, but on ensuring that the home environment is prepared to provide support. The programme also works with nearby health centres, outreach clinics, and other community structures to strengthen continuity of care.

Eric Odoki presented findings from YouBelong Uganda’s programme, which supports more than 40 people each month. According to the report, 85% of those who returned home remained there. The findings identified continuity of care as the most significant gap, with alcohol and substance use emerging as key drivers of relapse.

Representing Butabika Hospital, Dr Birabwa spoke about the burden of managing discharges in a context where many patients present with severe, chronic, and relapsing mental illness. She noted that the hospital continues to care for long-stay patients and others who return repeatedly in crisis. Emphasising that recovery cannot depend on medication alone, she called for stronger reintegration systems that ensure patients are supported to remain stable after returning to their communities.

Participants agreed that meaningful decongestion will depend on strengthening lower-level and regional mental health services, improving medicine availability, expanding psychosocial support, and building the capacity of health workers and community structures.

Edith Kebirungi, a social worker at YouBelong Uganda, addressed the factors driving admissions to Butabika Hospital. She explained that inflow is shaped not only by family and community challenges, but also by broader health-system gaps, including understaffing, medicine shortages, and limited mental health capacity at lower-level facilities. She argued that addressing both admission and discharge pathways simultaneously is essential to creating a more stable and responsive system.

In Uganda, mental health cases have risen significantly in recent years. Ministry of Health statistics indicate a 25 percent increase in reported mental health cases over the last four years.

Health experts estimate that nearly one quarter of Ugandan adults and almost one quarter of our children are affected by mental health conditions, yet many never receive the support they need.

Butabika Hospital frequently accommodates over 1,000 patients. Its dedicated staff work tirelessly under immense pressure, but the reality is that no single hospital can carry the mental health burden of an entire nation.

During the discussion, participants raised issues related to justice, school-based mental health, police responses, psychosocial support, and the need to operationalize existing policies. Dr. Mutamba encouraged stakeholders to priorities practical policy and community-level changes, including training for community health workers and police officers. Dr. Hafswa Lukwata emphasised that regional referral hospitals should play a far more central role in expanding access to care. By the close of the meeting, there was broad consensus that reducing pressure on Butabika Hospital will require a coordinated response that begins well before admission and continues long after discharge.

Closing the meeting, Dr Hafsa Lukwata called for sustained collaboration among government, health workers, civil society, caregivers, and people with lived experience. The roundtable ended with a shared commitment to translate the day’s recommendations into a long-term plan for community-based mental health care in Uganda.