7 June 2023, Tripoli – Today, the Keshlaf primary health care (PHC) centre in Tripoli welcomed a high-level delegation from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, led by Dame Barbara Woodward, the United Kingdom’s permanent representative to the UN in New York and Her Excellency Caroline Hurndall, the British Ambassador to Libya. The team was accompanied by staff from WHO’s country office in Tripoli. Keshlaf is one of 30 PHC centres that implemented a recently-completed project, funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, to integrate mental health and gender-based violence care into PHC services in Libya.  

Staff at the centre gave a brief presentation on the range of health care services and community health initiatives offered at the facility, with a focus on mental health and gender-based violence. The delegation then toured the centre and met with physicians (including a mental health specialist), who shared their experiences and challenges in providing quality health care, especially for women and children who are survivors of gender-based violence.

The visit was an opportunity to showcase the achievements and impact of the UK-funded project, as well as explore potential areas for future collaboration. The delegation expressed its appreciation of the work accomplished and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the strengthening of Libya’s health system.  

The project focused heavily on capacity-building, to enable newly trained physicians, nurses, community health workers, teachers and social workers to coach their peers on WHO’s mental health-GAP intervention manual, psychological first aid guide and school mental health package. More than 900 people were trained over the course of the project. Moreover, 45 journalists were trained on responsible reporting on suicide and other sensitive mental health topics.