What is the name of your organization?
Kenya Red Cross Society
What is the name of your solution?
AI-Powered MHPSS Chatbot
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
Scaling up for greater impact to fully address Kenya's growing mental health and psychosocial needs through the multi-channel AI-powered chatbot.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Nairobi, Kenya
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
Kenya
What type of organization is your solution team?
Nonprofit
Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?
Kenya’s Mental health needs are on the rise due to growing awareness despite the lack of access to services due to high stigma towards mental health, high costs related to seeking care, and the unavailability of services. Kenya Mental Health Policy 2015-2030 states that 1 in every 4 Kenyans suffer from mental illness, also 25% of outpatients and 40% of inpatients attending health facilities have a mental illness meaning 12 million Kenyans in need of mental health services with 140 psychiatrists and 5000 registered counselors and psychologists for a 50 million population. In November 2019, the Government of Kenya recognized the severity of the status of mental health and set up a task force led by a team of experts in the field. Key findings indicate that Kenya has a high burden of mental illness due to ill health, psychosocial disability, and premature mortality, with huge gaps in access to care. The KRCS AI chatbot, Chat- Care, addresses the challenges by providing confidential and free 24/7 mental health support. With over 6,034 clients served since 2024, the scaleup includes WhatsApp integration, crisis management, extended session time-out , voice input, and additional languages, We hope to bridge the mental health accessibility gap.
What is your solution?
Chat- Care is an AI-powered chatbot designed to provide accessible, free and confidential mental health support. It offers assistance through automated conversations and human intervention, ensuring users receive tailored responses based on their needs.
The chatbot uses advanced AI algorithms to analyze user emotions, language patterns, and distress signals, allowing it to deliver relevant mental health and psychosocial guidance. It integrates machine learning to improve responses over time and adapts to user interactions, enhancing support effectiveness.
The front-end portal for human agent interaction is built using JavaScript frameworks, ensuring smooth user experiences. The backend and business logic utilize .NET 6.0 SDK, the Bot Framework Emulator, and Azure Bot Services, providing a scalable, robust, and efficient platform for AI-driven mental health support.
Chat -Care is available on Telegram, Webchat, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger, expanding accessibility across digital platforms. It also supports human handovers, where users in need of more personalized assistance can be connected to live counselors.
Currently available in English and Swahili, Chat Care enhances mental health accessibility through bilingual and culturally responsive engagement, ensuring inclusivity for diverse communities.
The Link below demonstrates how chat-care works
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
Chat care targets the Kenyan population with a focus on the youth, especially in schools and institutions of higher learning due to internet accessibility. Kenyans who struggle to access mental health and psychosocial support services due to financial constraints, stigma associated with seeking care. Kenya is at disadvantage to have limited mental health professionals with most services concentrated in urban settings and have high costs,leaving majority of low income earning Kenyans without help and high levels of stigma preventing them from seeking care. Chat care provides free 24/7 confidential mental health support eliminating the financial barrier and stigma . it offers emphatic interactions making it easy for those struggling to open up and can eventually seek human support. scaling up chat care to intergrate whatsapp, voice input , crisis management, language addition will broaden accesibility and ensure that no one is left behind in mental health and psychosocial support.
