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Dixon Chibanda

FRIENDSHIP BENCH FOUNDER

BIOGRAPHY

Dixon Chibanda is the founder and Global Lead of Friendship Bench. He is a leader in the global conversation to democratize mental health care, published researcher, and author of 'The Friendship Bench: How Fourteen Grandmothers Inspired a Mental Health Revolution'. He is a practising medical doctor and professor of  psychiatry & Global Mental  Health at the University of Zimbabwe and The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. He is the Director of the African Mental Health Initiative (AMARI) and a founding member of Coalition for Scaling Mental Health which aims to close the mental health care  gap across the world. Dixon started the Friendship Bench in one of Harare’s townships called Mbare in 2006 and conceptualized the first Friendship Bench which has now been refined and adapted in all the 10 provinces of Zimbabwe, and replicated in over 10 countries. He now leads the team to scale it up across the globe. He has been for over a decade a key player in bringing the various stakeholders from local health authorities, health professionals, national and international researchers, and donors together to form successful collaborations. In his role as PI on several research projects, he has led the Friendship Bench team through the rigorous exercise of  randomized control trials (RCT) which have consistently showed evidence for the intervention’s effectiveness. The effectiveness of the Friendship Bench is highlighted in a seminal cluster randomized controlled trial published in JAMA. In addition, over 100 peer-reviewed scientific publications of the program are accessible online. As a practising medical doctor, professor in psychiatry & global mental health, Dixon has explored the intersection of indigenous knowledge and western models of care to develop sustainable interventions in global health. His TED talk on why he trains grandmothers to treat depression describes the journey of the Friendship Bench.

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WATCH: This 'Friendship Bench' is pulling on the healing power of grandmothers
04:24
Why I train grandmothers to treat depression | Dixon Chibanda
12:25
Skoll World Forum 2024: A Dialogue on Exercising Moral Courage
48:41
It Takes a Village: Promoting Health at the Grassroots
48:52
Friendship Bench - Zimbabwe
01:59
Interview with Friendship Bench Founder Dr. Dixon Chibanda
01:12
The Friendship Bench | Dixon Chibanda | EA Global: London 2018
31:26
Dr. Dixon Chibanda - The Friendship Bench - The Power Of Our Story
53:59
These Zimbabwean grandmothers are bringing mental health support to their community
04:03
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