Disasters leave lasting impacts that go beyond physical damage. They affect mental health and psychosocial wellbeing through trauma, anxiety, grief and stress. Yet mental health is still not well integrated into many disaster risk reduction (DRR) policies, programmes and response systems across Africa.
We are pleased to invite you to the second webinar in the Af-STAG DRR Webinar Series.
Addressing Mental Health in the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Cycle in Africa
Theme: Integrating Mental Health and Psychosocial Support into Disaster Risk Reduction in Africa
- Date: Thursday, 22 October 2026
- Time: 14:00 to 15:30 (GMT+2, SAST)
- Platform: Microsoft Teams
This webinar will explore where mental health and disaster risk reduction meet, and why Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) needs to be part of preparedness, response, recovery and resilience building.
Key discussion areas
- Mental health impacts of disasters
- Integrating MHPSS into preparedness, response and recovery
- Policy and practice gaps in African DRR systems
- Evidence-based recommendations for strengthening resilience and wellbeing
Who should attend
The webinar is a platform for researchers, policymakers, practitioners, humanitarian actors and development partners to discuss practical ways of advancing mental health-informed disaster risk reduction across Africa.
Featured speaker: Dr Naeem Dalal
Dr Dalal is a consultant psychiatrist and public health specialist with extensive experience in mental health, psychosocial support, emergency preparedness and health systems strengthening. He has provided technical support to national, regional and international institutions on mental health and resilience programming, and brings a wealth of expertise on integrating mental health into disaster risk management.
How to join
Scan the QR code on the flyer to join on Microsoft Teams.
Please share this invitation with colleagues and networks who may be interested in this important discussion.
