Ms. Jarra Marega is a psychiatric nurse practitioner and Programme Manager for the National Mental Health Programme at the Ministry of Health, The Gambia. She brings more than 14 years of leadership experience at the intersection of clinical practice, health systems management, and national policy development.
As a World Health Organization-certified lead trainer for the World Health Organization Mental Health Gap Action Programme Intervention Guide (WHO mhGAP-IG), Ms. Marega has led transformative initiatives in mental health service integration, policy formulation, and community-based care models. Her work focuses on addressing critical systemic gaps in mental health care in The Gambia.
Her recent achievements include spearheading the development of The Gambia Mental Health Policy 2025–2035 and serving as National Technical Lead for the landmark Gambia Mental Health Investment Case Report 2025, which highlighted the economic case for mental health reform. She is currently leading the country’s first nationwide initiative to integrate mental health services into the primary healthcare system through WHO mhGAP training.
