Greater
attention must be paid to mental health care, Ban says
| 10
October 2008 – Greater efforts are needed to address
the difficulties in providing mental health care and
protecting the human rights of those with severe
disorders, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today,
urging scaled up resources to provide care to those
who need it.
"Mental health is of paramount importance for
personal well-being, family relationships and an
individual’s ability to contribute to society,” Mr.
Ban said in his message on World Mental Health Day,
observed annually on 10 October |
WHO calls for urgent scaling up of services for
mental disorders |
He pointed out that mental
disorders occur “in all cultures and at all stages of life,” and
are too often linked to poverty, marginalization and social
disadvantage.
Resources to tackle the issue
are “insufficient, inequitably distributed and inefficiently
used,” the Secretary-General noted.
“Scaling up services should be
a priority,” he said, hailing a new initiative announced by the
UN World Health Organization (WHO).
With over three quarters of
people suffering from mental disorders in the developing world
receiving no care, “Mental health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP):
Scaling up care for mental, neurological and substance use
disorders” seeks to close the massive treatment gap.
Across Africa, nine out of ten
people suffering from epilepsy live without treatment, being
unable to access drugs costing less than $5 per year.
WHO said that tens of millions
could be treated for diseases such as depression and
schizophrenia, even where resources are scarce, so long as there
is proper care, psychosocial assistance and medication.
“Governments across the world
need to see mental health as a vital component of primary health
care,” said WHO Director-General Margaret Chan. “We need to
change policy and practice.”
In most countries, less than 2
per cent of health funds are earmarked for mental health. One
third of people living with schizophrenia, over half suffering
from depression and three quarters with alcohol-use disorders
cannot access affordable care.
Meanwhile, one person dies of
suicide – one of the leading causes of death, albeit a
preventable one, among young adults worldwide – every 40
seconds.
The cost of boosting services
is not very high, WHO said, and can be as low as $0.20 per
person per year to enhance treatment for schizophrenia, bipolar
disorder, depression and hazardous alcohol use.
“We need to ensure that people
with these disorders are not denied opportunities to contribute
to social and economic life and that their human rights are
protected,” said Benedetto Saraceno, Director of WHO’s Mental
Health and Substance Abuse Department.
In her message on the Day, the
head of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) stressed the importance
of addressing mental health through the lens of reproductive
health, which “is a state of complete physical, mental and
social well-being.”
During pregnancy and after
delivery, many women suffer from depression, but cannot access
the necessary treatment. “Perinatal depression is associated
with increased risk of obstetric complications and premature
birth,” said Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, UNFPA’s Executive Director.
“And depressed women are less likely to seek and receive
antenatal or postnatal care.”
Survivors of gender-based and
sexual violence need mental health and psychosocial support
services, she added.
UNFPA and WHO have joined
forces to integrate mental health services into existing
maternal and child health policies.
“Today, we call on all
governments and partners to include measures for mental health
in efforts to achieve human development and respond to
humanitarian crises,” Ms. Obaid said. “Mental health is central
to human dignity.”
TOP
|
Richard C Hunter WMHDay Awards