KATHMANDU, JUNE 23
Almost one billion people globally live with mental health conditions of which approximately 260 million people live in the World Health Organisation South- East Asia Region, which includes Nepal among 11 countries.
Inadequate investment in mental health services and health workforce have resulted in large treatment gaps in the region, which was further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This shows there is urgent need to expand community-based mental health services.
"We need to make mental health and well-being a priority for all by reorienting and integrating mental health services into primary health care by ensuring equitable and affordable access to care and services," said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director, WHO South-East Asia Region, in a press release.
Mental disorders have remained among the top ten leading causes of disease burden worldwide with no sign of declining since 1990.
Lack of trained professionals and resources, stigma attached to mental illness and lack of prevention and promotion of interventions are some of the key regional challenges in ensuring universal access to mental health care.
With an aim to support member countries in expanding community mental health services in the WHO South-East Asia Region, experts and stakeholders from the governmental and non-governmental sectors and partner agencies exchanged knowledge and experiences to address the gaps and scale up mental health services at a regional meeting convened by WHO in Colombo, Sri Lanka from June 20 to 22.
Expanding community mental health services relevant to the context of different countries was the key focus of discussions, which also included climate change and mental health, reforming mental health services, financing and information systems.
A version of this article appears in the print on June 24, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
