TY  - JOUR
AB  - Purpose– Since 2002, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Ontario, Canada, has been working closely with partners in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to implement mental health capacity‐building focused on primary health care. From an equity perspective, this article seeks to critically analyze the process and key results of this capacity‐building effort and to identify various implications for the future.Design/methodology/approach– This analysis of capacity‐building approaches is based on a critical review of existing documents such as needs assessments and evaluation reports, as well as reflective discussion. Previous health equity literature is used as a framework for analysis.Findings– More than 1,000 professionals have been engaged in various kinds of training in Chile, Peru, Brazil, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Trinidad and Tobago. These capacity‐building initiatives have had an impact on primary health care from both an equity and systems perspective because participants were engaged at all stages of the process and implementation lessons incorporated into the final efforts. Stigma was also reduced through the collaborations.Originality/value– Using concrete examples of capacity‐building in mental primary healthcare in LAC, as well as evidence gathered from the literature, this article demonstrates how primary healthcare can play a strong role in addressing health equity and human rights protection for people with mental health and/or substance abuse problems.
VL  - 4
IS  - 3
SN  - 1757-0980
DO  - 10.1108/17570981111249284
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1108/17570981111249284
AU  - Khenti Akwatu
AU  - Sapag Jaime C.
AU  - Garcia‐Andrade Consuelo
AU  - Poblete Fernando
AU  - Raquel Santiago de Lima Ana
AU  - Herrera Andres
AU  - Diaz Pablo
AU  - Amare Henok
AU  - Selick Avra
AU  - Reid Sandra
ED  - Kwame McKenzie
ED  - Denise Canso
PY  - 2011
Y1  - 2011/01/01
TI  - Building primary health care capacity to address addiction and mental health inequities: lessons from Latin America and the Caribbean
T2  - Ethnicity and Inequalities in Health and Social Care
PB  - Emerald Group Publishing Limited
SP  - 143
EP  - 154
Y2  - 2024/04/19
ER  -