TikTok announced this week that it will expand its $2.3 million global Mental Health Education Fund to include organisations from Sub-Saharan Africa for the first time, marking a significant step forward in the platform's commitment to supporting mental health education across the continent.
According to TikTok, three Sub-Saharan African organisations have been chosen as the initial regional recipients, including the South African Depression and Anxiety Group, the Mentally Aware Nigeria Initiative, and Kenya's Mental360.
These organisations will receive funding and platform support to develop locally relevant, evidence-based content that improves awareness, lowers stigma, and fosters open discourse about mental health in African communities.
The short-form video platform held its first Digital Well-being Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, bringing together policymakers, mental health professionals, NGOs, and industry executives from Sub-Saharan Africa.
TikTok established the Mental Health Education Fund in 2023 to help groups generate authoritative, engaging, and uplifting mental health content.
The platform also announced plans to expand in-app hotline resources across Africa, following a successful pilot in France and subsequent implementation across European countries.
It elaborated: “In the coming weeks, users of some countries in Africa will have access to local helplines in-app that provide expert support when reporting content related to suicide, self-harm, hate, and harassment. This feature builds on existing capabilities that direct users to mental health resources when they report bullying and harassment, further strengthening access to timely and relevant support on the platform.”
Furthermore, as part of its ongoing partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), TikTok introduced its new Mental Health Ambassadors, a diverse group of verified healthcare professionals from the WHO Fides network. (A network of healthcare influencers)
The inaugural cohort of mental health ambassadors includes: Sanam Naran: (South Africa), Dr Claire Kinuthia (Kenya), Doctor Wales (Nigeria),and Doctor Siya (South Africa)
“People come to TikTok to learn, share their experiences, and connect with communities around the world. That’s why we’re proud to introduce tools that not only support digital well-being, but also empower our community, especially young users, with a safe, supportive space to explore and navigate complex emotions,” said Valiant Richey, TikTok global head of trust and safety outreach and partnerships.
“We commend the private sector's efforts to foster digital literacy and create a safer online environment for all. Such efforts reflect the government and the private sector's collective responsibility to inspire creativity, empower communities and connect young people to the digital world," added minister of basic education for South Africa, Siviwe Gwarube.
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