Institutional Barriers to the Healthy Promoting of Universities in Higher Education in Africa

Abstract

Poor mental health among students in higher education is a growing public health and policy concern. There is a lack of literature that synthesizes the available evidence on the barriers faced by educational institutions in becoming health promoting universities (HPUs) and the recommendations for implementing health promotion among university students in Africa. To identify the major institutional barriers and how they affect student well-being in Africa, a scoping review of various electronic databases were searched spanning from January 2000 to May 2024. Two themes emerged: a) Institutional barriers to health promotion university; b) recommendations for the implementation of HPU in Africa. The findings serve as a catalyst in fostering collaboration, both locally and internationally, to enhance the well-being of students throughout Africa and help them thrive and succeed in their academic pursuits. The review calls for African universities to join the International Network of HPU, as well as training academics to effectively teach health promotion concepts.