With an estimated 1 in 8 people worldwide living with a mental disorder, mental health disorders are among the leading causes of disease burden globally. In Africa, mental disorders are becoming a growing problem. Findings from my recent study which was published in Molecular Psychiatry revealed a high prevalence of mental disorders among a general population in southwestern Uganda. 

I am Dr. Allan Kalungi, a research fellow at the MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit and a psychiatric geneticist passionate about advancing psychiatric genetic research in Africa. My work focuses on understanding the genetic underpinnings of mental disorders among African populations to improve treatment and diagnostic tools. In this blog, I explore the urgent need for psychiatric genetic research in Africa.

Overtime it has been proven that genetics play a role in the development of mental disorders and indeed the genetic architecture of several mental disorders has been illuminated. However, this knowledge primarily comes from research which has been conducted among participants of predominantly European ancestry. African populations have been  left out of this important research, despite having the highest genetic diversity globally. Understanding the genetic basis of mental health disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, and post-traumatic stress disorder, in African populations could enhance discovery and lead to better treatments and diagnostic tools. Additionally, it would help dispel myths and misconceptions surrounding these disorders in Africa.

For my Master of Science degree in Molecular Biology research in 2015, I conducted the first psychiatric genetic study in East Africa, exploring the association between serotonin transporter gene polymorphisms and increased suicidal risk among Ugandan adults living with HIV. This research coincided with a personal turning point as I observed firsthand the impact of mental health challenges within my own extended family. From them, I realized that depression can affect individuals who may not outwardly appear to be struggling. As a geneticist, the possibility that I might carry genetic risk factors for depression and other disorders became all too real to me, igniting a fervent desire within me to contribute to the field of psychiatric research. I  therefore pursued further studies, completing both a Ph.D. in Psychiatry from Stellenbosch University and a fellowship of the Global Initiative for Neuropsychiatric Genetics in Education Research (GINGER) programme of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in 2020. The GINGER fellowship empowers African early-career researchers by providing the skills to design and run large psychiatric genetic studies. 

Psychiatric genetic research has the potential to reduce the burden of mental disorders by identifying novel mechanistic pathways, which could lead to the development of more effective drugs or indentification of new drug targets. My desire is to see that people from Africa are also included in global psychiatric genetic research. If not included, people from Africa may not benefit when psychiatric genetic discoveries are translated into treatments, hence the urgent need to conduct psychiatric genetic research on the continent. My most recent commentary, published in Nature Communications Medicine focuses on “Approaches to enable equitable psychiatric genetic research in Africa. Written in collaboration with renowned African researchers: Professors Segun Fatumo and Dan Stein and Dr. Niran Okewole, the commentary highlights several factors that continue to hinder psychiatric genetic research on the continent and proposes key, under-prioritised strategies to address these challenges.

In the past, research conducted in Africa has often been done without proper consent or respect for the participants. This unethical approach has left a legacy of mistrust that affects current research efforts. Limited resources are also a significant hurdle. African researchers often lack access to the necessary funding, infrastructure, and training to carry out large-scale genetic studies. Laboratories with advanced equipment, reliable internet, and bioinformatics platforms are crucial but often out of reach. Africa’s immense cultural and genetic diversity presents both an opportunity and a challenge. With over 3,000 ethnic groups and 2,000 languages, the continent offers unparalleled insights into human genetics. However, this diversity makes it more complex to gather and analyze data across such varied populations.

Currently, there is a shortage of psychiatric geneticists and psychiatric genetic data from Africa. To address this, researchers across the continent must strengthen partnerships both within Africa and globally . It is essential that African scientists take a leading role in research conducted on the continent, with local communities engaged throughout the process. Training programs such as the GINGER are already helping to build capacity, but more initiatives are needed to further advance this field.

Investing in psychiatric genetic research in Africa through increased funding, capacity building, and infrastructure development is crucial for ensuring equitable research on the continent. This will not only unlock new insights into mental health but also ensure that Africans benefit from the treatments and knowledge derived from this research. Ultimately, inclusive research is not just about fairness—it’s about advancing science for the benefit of all. Psychiatric genetic data from Africa has the potential to refine the global understanding of the genetic basis of mental disorders, benefiting humanity as a whole.

Learn more about the non-communicable research at the Unit.