Ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s arrival to the Psychiatric Hospital in Malabo, staff members tell Vatican News that the visit will send a “very strong” message on the importance of mental health care.
By Joseph Tulloch – Malabo At the Jean-Pierre Olie Psychatric Hospital in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, preparations are well underway for the visit of Pope Leo. The official logo of the Apostolic Journey, containing the motto “Christ, light of Equatorial Guinea, towards a future of hope”, has been tacked to the outside of buildings, and rows of chairs have been drawn up in a central pavilion where patients and staff will gather to hear from the Pope. “It’s a huge honour”, says Prof. Bechir Ben Hadj Ali, the Tunisian doctor who serves as Director General of the hospital. The Pope’s visit is an “extremely important gesture”, he stresses, one that will shine a spotlight on the importance of mental health in Equatorial Guinea and worldwide. The facility, the only one of its kind in the country, was founded a decade ago, and began with just twenty-five beds. It now has 146, split across six wards. At the moment, it is caring for some 125 patients (100 men and 25 women) living with psychosis, depression, anxiety, and substance addiction. In December 2025, the hospital was renamed in honour of the renowned French psychiatrist Jean-Pierre Olié, who played a key role in setting it up. The support of First Lady Constancia Mangue de Obiang was also essential, says Prof. Ben Hadj Ali. Across the world, but in particular in Africa, the Tunisian doctor stresses, mental health is often mistakenly considered to be of “secondary” importance. The Pope’s visit thus sends a “very strong” message on the importance of caring for those suffering from mental illnesses. Dr. Engracia Asangono Nchuchuma, deputy director of the hospital, explains that the structure has recently evolved toward a model of community-based care. The hospital not only offers outpatient psychiatric and psychological consultations from Monday to Friday, but also has a mobile team that travels to care for patients who, for various reasons, cannot attend their check-ups. In addition, it has recently opened a child psychiatry unit to address growing demand among minors. An effort is also made to meet the spiritual needs of patients, says Dr Asangono Nchuchuma, including celebrations of Mass and, more recently, preparation for the papal visit. When Pope Leo arrives, she stresses, he will “help everyone to see people with mental illnesses not as individuals to be isolated, but to integrate into our communities”.