The Centre for Infectious Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) has trained 46 lay counsellors in Common Elements Treatment Approach (CETA) in Lusaka.

The approaches used in CETA provides the basis for feasible scale-up through the use of a single therapy to treat multiple common mental disorders with varying severities.

As provided for in the mission, this training reflects CIDRZ commitment to improve access to quality healthcare in Zambia through innovative capacity development, exceptional implementation science and research, and impactful and sustainable public health programmes.

CETA is more cost-effective than implementing multiple single-disorder focused psychotherapy treatments in Low Medium Income Countries.

The provision of CETA training has been encompassed in the study titled ‘Evaluating implementation strategies to scale up transdiagnostic evidence-based mental health care in Zambia’ whose overall objectives to evaluate implementation strategies that can reduce the gap between science and practice of evidence-based treatments (EBT) for mental health in Zambia.

The training which focused on equipping local lay counselors took place at Our Lady’s Hospice in Lusaka and was conducted by five CIDRZ CETA trainers from R01-Mental health.