What is the name of your organization?
Finemind
What is the name of your solution?
OnCall
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
OnCall is a chat-based assistant that empowers peer counselors to deliver high-quality mental health care at scale.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Agago, Uganda
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
UGA
What type of organization is your solution team?
Nonprofit
Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?
Globally, more than 1 in 8 people live with a mental health condition, yet over 70% receive no treatment—especially in low- and middle-income countries where mental health care is underfunded, stigmatized, and siloed from primary care. Depression alone is the leading cause of disability worldwide, and suicide is a top five cause of death among young people.
In Uganda, the problem is even more severe. With only 50 psychiatrists serving a population of over 47 million, care is functionally nonexistent for most. In rural areas like Agago District or humanitarian settings like Bidibidi refugee settlement, studies show that up to 67% of individuals experience symptoms of depression, and over half show signs of PTSD—some of the highest rates globally. Yet formal care is inaccessible: private sessions can cost $20 or more, while rural households often live on less than $2 a day.
Despite growing demand, the health system is not equipped to respond. Primary care workers lack training, support, and scalable tools to deliver mental health care. This disconnect leaves millions untreated—not for lack of need, but because the system lacks the capacity and infrastructure to provide timely, effective support.
What is your solution?
Finemind is transforming mental health care in Uganda by embedding peer-led, evidence-based support directly into public health systems. We train local health assistants and Village Health Teams to deliver structured counseling—using tools like Interpersonal Counseling (IPC) and Problem Management Plus (PM+)—tailored to rural and humanitarian contexts.
To ensure quality as we scale, we’re building OnCall, a mobile chat-based assistant that acts as a real-time support system for counselors. It provides simple, context-aware guidance before or during sessions. A counselor might ask:
-“How do I start IPC session 1?”
-“Which assessment tool should I use today?”
-“What if the client is grieving a recent loss?”
OnCall responds instantly with helpful, structured prompts—improving counselor confidence and consistency.
By reinforcing training at the point of care, OnCall reduces the supervision burden and helps maintain high-quality delivery as Finemind expands into new districts like Bidibidi and Ngora. It complements our data tools (CommCare and Power BI) to create a stronger, more scalable system of mental health care.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
Our solution serves two interconnected populations. First are the community-based peer counselors—trained lay health workers embedded in public health facilities across Uganda. These counselors deliver structured mental health support using WHO-endorsed tools like Interpersonal Counseling (IPC) and Problem Management Plus (PM+). While their role is essential, they are often under-supported, working in remote settings with limited supervision and little access to reference materials. OnCall serves as a real-time coach, helping them stay confident, consistent, and connected as they deliver care.
Second, and more broadly, our solution supports clients receiving mental health services in regions like Agago District, Bidibidi refugee settlement, and (soon) Ngora District—areas shaped by drought, conflict, displacement, and chronic underinvestment. These communities experience some of the highest rates of emotional distress globally, yet have extremely limited access to professional mental health care.
By empowering counselors with better tools, we improve both the quality and reach of care for vulnerable populations. Clients receive timely, culturally relevant support from trained neighbors they trust. Counselors feel equipped and valued. And the system begins to close the mental health treatment gap from the inside out.
