Jimma-Minnesota International Symposium on Mental Health and Substance Use

Jimma, Ethiopia, February 17-19, 2014

“Confronting the Challenge of Mental Health and Substance Use Problems in Africa”

Welcome to the inaugural Jimma-Minnesota International Symposium on Mental Health and Substance Use

PLEASE FIND JIMIS' PROCEEDINGS HERE

It is our pleasure to announce the Jimma-Minnesota international symposium on mental health and substance use which will be held at Jimma University, College of Public Health and Medical Science, Ethiopia, from February 17-19, 2014. The general theme of the meeting is “Confronting the Challenge of Mental Health and Substance Use Problems in Africa”. The conference will include keynote presentations and research papers presented within thematically focused symposia.

The following sub themes will be covered on the conference:

• Mental health and substance use in Africa

• The epidemiology of mental health in Africa: Patterns and trends

• Pharmacological and cognitive neuroscience of substance use

• Mental health and substance abuse problems related to khat

• Mental health, pregnancy and child health

• Khat/Substance use and pregnancy

• Strategies and policies focusing on prevention and intervention effort

The conference is organized in collaboration with Jimma University (JU) and the Khat Research Program (KRP). JU is a leading public higher education institution in Ethiopia. The University is known with its pioneering philosophy of Community Based Education in Ethiopia. JU has extensive experiences in the area of research, teaching and community based interventions. The KRP is a multidisciplinary research and training program focusing on khat and related mental health and substance use issues. KRP is partially funded by the National Institutes of Health and the University of Minnesota, U.S.A. The program is conducted in collaboration with several universities in the United States, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The most recent expansion of the program includes establishing a collaborative network among universities in Ethiopia. Currently JU and KRP are collaborating on studies investigating the effects of khat and other substances on mental health, cognition, children, youth & maternal health. This work should lay the foundation for the further institutional collaboration and research development.