MhiSA is a three year project promoting science and research partnerships in the area of mental health between the countries of South Asia and the UK, underpinned by a collaboratively-developed strategy.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has identified mental health as a global priority (WHO, 2016) and has a Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2020 that identifies both effective leadership, enhanced information systems and research for mental health as key objectives. Low and middle-income countries (LAMIC) often struggle to provide adequate mental health services. The countries in the British Council’s South Asia region which includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka have all been categorised as LAMIC, and each represent an opportunity to enhance and improve understanding of and intervention for mental health issues in their population.

The remit of MhiSA is to to identify identify contextualised research to create a voice and collective wisdom, support long-term action plans, provide information and inform policy development.