The World Health Organization says public expenditures on mental health are scarce in low and middle-income countries averaged below US$2 per capita and observes that a paradigm shift is needed to promote community-based treatment provision from a current long-stay hospital treatment system.
“Impact evaluation showed that these programmes were not only instrumental in reducing the treatment gap of mental and neurological disorders, but were more acceptable and dignified,” says Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO’s regional director for South-East Asia Region.
She says mental, neurological and substance use disorders are common all over the world, affecting every community and age group and across all income countries. While 14 per cent of the global burden of disease is attributed to these disorders, most of the people affected, almost 75 per cent in many low-income countries do not have access to treatment they need.
Even if they have access to treatment, Dr Poonam says, a large proportion of treatment funds go to their inpatient care, especially in mental hospitals, which itself is stigmatizing patients. On a contrast, community-based mental health programmes, which are developed and piloted in the region, showed promising in reducing treatment gap of mental and neurological disorders.
“Together we need to ensure that mental health strategies, actions and interventions for treatment, prevention and promotion are compliant with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and other international and regional human rights instruments.”
In the WHO South-East Asia Region, eight countries have stand-alone mental health policies and plans. “This is a commendable achievement, but in the last five years, we have fallen behind compared with other WHO regions in updating these policies and plans,” the WHO regional director says.
Only three member states have an updated policy/plan in line with the human rights instrument. Six countries in the region have stand-alone mental health laws out of which only two countries have updated their laws in the last five years. WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia has taken steps to support member states in developing/updating their mental health policies and plans.
WHO SEARO is supporting member states to implement the comprehensive mental health action plan 2013-2020. The framework provided in this action plan has been adapted at the regional level taking into account regional challenges. At all stages of implementing the plan, dignity in mental health remains a high priority.
“To break the barrier of prejudice and insensitivity, dignity and mental health have to go hand-in-hand. We will achieve dignity for mental health when communities, families and individuals have the confidence to seek help for mental health without fear and inhibition,” Dr Poonam says.
Poonam says World Mental Health Day, observed on October 10, is the annual global celebration of mental health education, awareness and advocacy. This day acts as an opportunity for all stakeholders to reflect on “where we are and what we need to do to make mental healthcare a reality for people around the world”.
