Innovative Zimbabwean mental health initiative wins King Baudouin Foundation Africa Prize

The King Baudouin Foundation (KBF) has awarded €250,000 to Friendship Bench from Zimbabwe as part of the 2025-2026 Africa Prize.

This Zimbabwe-founded model partners with governments and organisations to implement low-cost, fully integrated mental health care worldwide.

With this prize, the KBF recognises the pioneering work led by Friendship Bench to expand access to affordable, evidence-based mental health care and address the growing global mental health crisis.

The Zimbabwean community-based initiative provides mental health support in discreet, safe community spaces, bringing care closer to where people live. The model trains lay health workers, known as ‘Grandmothers’, to deliver talk therapy grounded in basic cognitive behavioural therapy. 

“Friendship Bench is a strong example of the African-led innovation the KBF Africa Prize was created to recognise. What began in Zimbabwe is now influencing how mental health care can be delivered around the world,” said Bilikoss Adebiyi-Abiola, chair of the prize’s selection committee.

Mental health remains underfunded and underserved across Africa, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimating that around 150 million people are affected by mental health issues. 

In Zimbabwe, the scale of the challenge is particularly acute. Up to 70% of people with mental health conditions receive no formal care. The country also faces a severe shortage of specialised professionals with around 18 psychiatrists serving a population of over 17 million. 

Mental health receives less than 1% of the national health budget, despite its close links to broader health challenges such as HIV, maternal health and chronic illness. 

Friendship Bench was founded in 2006 by professor Dixon Chibanda with the goal to bridge the mental health treatment gap at a primary care level.  

The renowned Zimbabwean psychiatrist serves as a professor of psychiatry and global mental health at The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and The University of Zimbabwe. 

“Too many people are left without life-saving support due to stigma, cost or distance. Friendship Bench was born out of the urgent need to bring mental health to where people are,” he explained. 

With the King Baudouin Foundation marking its 50th anniversary, this year’s prize underscores its long-standing commitment to supporting African-led innovation, said Belgium’s leading philanthropy organisation.  

The prize plays a key role in helping organisations scale their impact and gain international visibility, as shown by previous laureates such as Dr Denis Mukwege, Elman Peace and Grameen Bank.

Photos: ©Friendship Bench