{
  "id": 8279685,
  "title": "Ethiopia: African Psychiatrists Convene in Addis Ababa to Advance Ai-Powered Mental Healthcare",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/ethiopia-african-psychiatrists-convene-in-addis-ababa-to-advance-ai",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-18T17:10:36.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "AllAfrica Health",
    "slug": "allafrica-health",
    "url": "https://allafrica.com/stories/202609180593.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Addis Ababa, Ethiopia has become the site for a significant gathering of African psychiatrists aiming to harness artificial intelligence and digital psychiatry to improve mental healthcare accessibility and quality across the continent. This two-day conference, organized jointly by the Ethiopian Psychiatrists Association and the African Association of Psychiatrists, is set to convene on September 18 and 19 at the Adwa Victory Memorial Museum.\n\nMinister of Health Dr. Mekdes Daba kicked off the event, highlighting the critical role of AI and digital psychiatry in addressing the escalating demand for mental health services. She underscored the importance of adopting technology while ensuring technological autonomy within the psychiatric sector and called for the use of tailored technologies aligned with Africa's unique requirements.\n\nDr. Mekdes expressed optimism about leveraging innovative technologies to enhance healthcare services on the continent. Prof. Atalay Alem, President of the Ethiopian Psychiatrists Association, echoed the theme's relevance, reaffirming the association's dedication to advancing mental health services in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders. He noted the association's growth to 194 members due to ongoing professional training and emphasized the importance of robust regulations to guide the application of AI and digital psychiatry across Africa.\n\nProf. Atalay also stressed the necessity of strengthening legal frameworks and policies to regulate the integration of artificial intelligence in psychiatry. Dr. Vuyiso Talatala, President of the African Association of Psychiatrists, extended gratitude to the Ethiopian Psychiatrists Association for its contributions to the continental body and for hosting the conference. In a video address, he highlighted the conference as a vital platform for psychiatrists to enhance research and exchange insights on applying artificial intelligence to mental healthcare in Africa. He expressed hope that the conference would identify practical applications of AI to improve mental health services across the continent.",
  "summary": "[ENA] Addis Ababa -- Psychiatrists from Ethiopia and across Africa have convened in Addis Ababa to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) and digital psychiatry can expand access to quality mental healthcare across the continent, according to the Ministry of Health.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}