A narrative analysis of the link between modern medicine and traditional medicine in Africa: a case of mental health in Uganda

•Mental disorders arise from the brain that is culturally and socially constructed.•Sociocultural issues cannot be divorced from mental disorders and their management.•In Africa, use of both Traditional Medicine and Modern Medicine systems is prevalent.•The two systems depart in several areas but their links are unrecognized.•This calls for acknowledging departure points and ways of enhancing the links.