The 2026 World Mental Health Run is set to take place on Sunday, November 1, at Mbale Cricket Grounds. Organized by Mental Health for All Nations (MAN Foundation) in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Mbale City Council, the event aims to raise awareness and funds for the psychiatric unit at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital. Mbale City Town Clerk, Jolly Hasoho, recently held a planning meeting with officials from MAN Foundation to prepare for the event.
According to Hasoho, many people in Uganda are struggling with depression, and collective efforts are needed to address mental health challenges and save lives. She urged residents to participate in the run, saying it will create awareness and raise funds to support the psychiatric unit at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital. The event is part of the global theme, “Lived Experiences, Heard Real Stories, Real Change.”
Janet Namalike Wepukhulu, leading the MAN Foundation delegation, stated that the Elgon region will commemorate World Mental Health Day on November 1 in Mbale City, despite the global event having taken place on October 10. The campaign seeks to address the silence surrounding mental health challenges affecting communities across the Bugisu region, driven by economic hardships, youth unemployment, domestic strain, and climate shocks.
Wepukhulu emphasized that people in the region have been carrying heavy hearts, silent trauma, stress, depression, and anxiety for a long time. She called on residents of Mbale City and neighboring areas to join the campaign to break local stigma and strengthen referral pathways from village health teams to the psychiatric unit at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital.
The mental health challenges in the Bugisu region are increasingly becoming a concern, with economic hardships, youth unemployment, domestic strain, and climate shocks being major contributing factors. The MAN Foundation, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Mbale City Council, aims to address these challenges through the World Mental Health Run.
Participants in the run are expected to come from Mbale City and neighboring areas. The event will not only raise awareness about mental health but also provide an opportunity for residents to show their support for those affected by mental health challenges.
The psychiatric unit at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital is expected to benefit from the funds raised during the event.
Key points
- The 2026 World Mental Health Run will take place on November 1 at Mbale Cricket Grounds.
- The event aims to raise awareness and funds for the psychiatric unit at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital.
- Mental health challenges in the Bugisu region are driven by economic hardships, youth unemployment, domestic strain, and climate shocks.
