KATHMANDU: Jagannath Lamichhane, founder of the Nepal Mental Health Foundation, has been selected as a panellist to represent South Asia for the first Global Mental Health Summit in Athens. More than 500 people will be participating in the Summit slated for September 2.

Lamichhane said the summit was in response to the growing concern of the vast unaddressed needs of the people suffering from mental disorder throughout the world. He said the objective of the summit is to uplift mental health services around the world especially in poor and third world countries where most people suffering from mental disorder were deprived of basic treatments. Addressing a press conference, Lamichhane said the summit would help advocate for the welfare of people suffering from mental disorder and would help to ensure their basic human rights.

He said that there weren't many laws and regulations regarding mental health and disorder in the nation stating that such disorders were seen as a 'social stigma' in the society.

"Mental health problems are considered unacceptable in our society and considered as madness," said Lamichhane, adding that the state should work to remove legal barriers concerning the issue.