We need mental health advocacy that drives tangible action. South African mental health advocate and CEO of Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty, Yael Geffen, argues that while discussing mental health remains crucial, it is insufficient without real, accessible support. “We are now facing a brutal reality: what good is talking if there is nowhere for people to go for professional, accessible help? We are sending people into a battle armed only with words when they need clinicians, medication, and sustained therapy.”
South African mental health advocate and CEO of Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty, Yael Geffen. Image supplied.
In South Africa, the deep-seated stigma around mental health issues that persists, particularly in rural areas, only deepens the crisis, says Geffen.
These regions are often underserved, and mental health services are minimal and inaccessible.
Furthermore, the stigma can be fuelled by a lack of information or knowledge, fortifying shame and often preventing individuals from seeking care.
Geffen warns, “Awareness without access to care is just noise.”
“We have successfully started the conversation, but now we must channel that collective will into demanding tangible action.
“We need a Marshall Plan for mental health in this country.”
“This means training more professionals, integrating mental health into primary care at every clinic, and making sure that a person in crisis in a rural village has the same right to care as someone in a wealthy suburb.”
Mental health of the marganilised
The world seems to be becoming increasingly hostile towards people who don’t adhere to a certain standard of “normal” at home and abroad (see Ngizwe Mchunu in South Africa and Trump in the US).
Mental health advocates who drive the inclusion and upliftment of the marginalised are incredibly crucial.
Megan Thee Stallion, the 2025 Mental Health Champion of the Year. Image credit:
The Trevor ProjectThe US nonprofit organisation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) people, Trevor Project, recently gave Megan Thee Stallion the 2025 Mental Health Champion of the Year Award for her “advocacy and personal commitment to uplifting mental health awareness for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) and LGBTQ+ communities and beyond.”
Started in 2021, the award is bestowed upon public figures who challenge stigma, shift culture, and advocate for the mental health of LGBTQ+ young people. Past recipients include Dua Lipa, Dylan Mulvaney, Janelle Monáe, and Lil Nas X.
Megan Thee Stallion won the accolade because of the way she uses her platform to spotlight issues like mental health, and for advocating for equitable access to care and resources, especially for marginalised people.
Her non-profit organisation, the Pete & Thomas Foundation, is centred on the empowerment of women, children, senior citizens, and underserved communities through education, housing, health, and wellness in Houston and the rest of the world.
She’s also been open about her mental health struggles in her music and elsewhere.
While speaking to Taraji P Henson at the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation recently, she shared about the moment she realised she needed help.
“Through all of that grief, I was just working and trying to be the best Megan I could be,” she said.
“I didn’t know I needed therapy until one day, I was just like, ‘Damn, I’m really sad, and it’s really scary how sad I am.’
“I didn’t care what happened to me. And I didn’t want to feel like that...I should care about my life.”
In 2022, she launched BadBitchesHaveBadDaysToo.com, a free wellness hub designed to promote mental health awareness and provide resources, directories, and LGBTQ+ community helplines to those seeking support.
The site includes therapy directories, mental health organisations, and crisis hotlines, which aim to make help more readily available.
Is AI the answer
The systemic response to the mental health crisis remains critically underfunded.
The WHO’s 2024 Mental Health Atlas report indicates that median government spending on mental health has stagnated at a modest 2% of total health budgets since 2017.
The disparity is shocking: high-income nations can allocate over R1,100 per person to mental health, while low-income nations spend less than R1.
Artificial intelligence (AI) could bridge the gap.
Earlier this year, global digital health nonprofit Audere Africa, in partnership with South African NGO Shout-It-Now, combined advanced AI with on-the-ground public health expertise and launched an AI-powered chatbot called AIMEE, for AI & me.
The service, which is available 24/7, provides comprehensive reproductive support and offers a safe, confidential space for young women and girls to talk about what’s bothering them, with linkage to free live nurse support.
Jessica Gbedemah 12 Sep 2025 Since its launch, AIMEE has held over 15,000 conversations — nearly half of which have been in-depth repeat interactions covering topics from abuse, family conflict, and gender-based violence to school stress, sexual health, bullying, break-ups, and employment worries.
"We continue to see mental health topping AIMEE’s list of most engaged and retained topics, reflecting both the trust users place in the AI platform and the urgent demand for support.
“Even chats that begin with sexual health often evolve into discussions about emotional and mental well-being, highlighting the interconnected nature of these issues.
“Whether it's answering questions about HIV testing, access to free self-test kits, how PrEP works, or understanding STI symptoms, AIMEE helps reduce the emotional burden of sexual health concerns, reinforcing that caring for your mind and your body go hand in hand,” says Dr Ntombifikile Mtshali, CEO of Shout-It-Now.
The platform has been designed to escalate to human support when needed.
AIMEE continuously assesses the content and tone of chats using built-in real-time accuracy and relevance monitoring, including harm detection.
If a user expresses distress, such as self-harm intention or ideation, or needs medical intervention — like PrEP, confirmatory HIV testing, or emergency contraception, AIMEE seamlessly links the user to a live nurse via WhatsApp.
If you or someone you know needs mental health or other healthcare support, visit www.bwisehealth.com.
