MENTAL HEALTH AND SUSTAINABLE PEACE: A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN P-DDRCS AND PNSM HIGHLIGHTED ON WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY
Kinshasa, October 10, 2025 – On the occasion of World Mental Health Day, celebrated this year under the international theme « Mental Health is a Universal Human Right » and the national theme « Promoting Mental Health and Psychosocial Support for Sustainable Peace in the DRC », the National Programme for Disarmament, Demobilization, Community Reintegration and Stabilization (P-DDRCS) reaffirmed its commitment to an integrated and inclusive approach to post-conflict stabilization—one rooted in human dignity and the psychological healing of populations affected by crises.
Represented by Dr. Jean Pierre Kalombo, Deputy Chief of Staff to the National Coordinator, the P-DDRCS participated in the official ceremony organized by the National Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Programme (PNSM/SMSPS), under the leadership of the Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene and Prevention. In his address, Dr. Kalombo emphasized the strategic importance of mental health as a lever for individual transformation, durable reintegration, and social reconstruction in regions affected by armed conflict.
In a clear and impactful statement, the P-DDRCS representative showcased the structural institutional partnership between the PNSM and P-DDRCS, which aligns with the vision of the Head of State, His Excellency Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, to build peace from the ground up through coherent, integrated, and nationally led public policies.
This partnership is built on a cross-sectoral approach, structured around six core operational pillars: psychosocial support for ex-combatants, community resilience and social cohesion, field-level capacity-building, technical support for DDR coordination, the protection of vulnerable populations, and the consolidation of peace through mental well-being.
As the national structure tasked with implementing the DDR strategy, the P-DDRCS has made a strong commitment to mainstreaming psychosocial support across all its interventions. The goal is to transform the lingering wounds of war into engines of reconciliation and human regeneration. The collaboration with PNSM/SMSPS not only enables the delivery of clinical assistance to beneficiaries, but also builds bridges between the security, health, and community development sectors, in a spirit of national responsibility and social innovation.
On this symbolic day, the P-DDRCS calls for collective mobilization around mental health as a fundamental human right and a key condition for lasting peace. The reconstruction of the Democratic Republic of Congo cannot be achieved without internal healing, nor without addressing the invisible traumas that continue to haunt survivors of conflict.
Commemorative activities are ongoing in Kinshasa and across provinces, supported by P-DDRCS, PNSM/SMSPS, and technical and financial partners. These include expert panels, free mental health consultations, community awareness campaigns, and powerful testimonies of resilience and recovery.
Dr. Kalombo also paid tribute to the leadership of Professor Jean de Dieu Désiré NTANGA NTITA, National Coordinator of the P-DDRCS, whose strategic direction has positioned mental health as a transversal pillar within the national DDRCS framework.
Together, let us build a stable, resilient, peaceful, and sovereign DRC.
P-DDRCS Communication-Unit
