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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | India's resolution on mental health adopted at World Health Assembly-Aarti Dhar

India's resolution on mental health adopted at World Health Assembly-Aarti Dhar

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published Published on May 30, 2012   modified Modified on May 30, 2012

India has achieved a major victory at the just concluded 65th World Health Assembly as it managed to push through a resolution on mental health, asking member-states to acknowledge the need for a comprehensive, coordinated response to addressing mental disorders from health and social sectors at the country level. The delegates recognised these measures which include programmes to reduce stigma and discrimination, reintegration of patients into workplace and society, support for care providers and families, and investment in mental health from the health budget.

“An important resolution calling upon the member-states and the World Health Organisation [WHO] to develop an action plan was moved by India and it received warm support before being approved,” according an official statement. It said India had been separately working on strengthening interventions in the 12th Plan for the care of people with mental illness, including emphasis on family and community care and training of health and community workers, and short and long stay homes. “The government has begun a major exercise to develop a mental health policy and also expects to shortly introduce new legislation to replace the Mental Health Act, 1987 to bring India into conformity with international commitments to protect the rights of persons with mental illness,” the statement said.

The resolution urged the member-states to develop and strengthen comprehensive policies and strategies that address the promotion of mental health, prevention of mental disorders, and early identification, care, support, treatment and recovery of persons with mental disorders, according to national priorities and within their specific context.

It calls for developing, as appropriate, surveillance frameworks that include risk factors as well as social determinants of health to analyse and evaluate trends regarding mental disorders; and to give appropriate priority and to streamline mental health, including the promotion of mental health, the prevention of mental disorders, and care, support and treatment in programmes addressing health and development, and to allocate appropriate resources in this regard and to collaborate with the WHO Secretariat in the development of a comprehensive mental health action plan.

The resolution has asked WHO to include, in the comprehensive mental health action plan, provisions to address the assessment of vulnerabilities and risks as a basis for developing the mental health action plan, protection, promotion and respect for the rights of persons with mental disorders, including the need to avoid stigmatisation with mental disorders and equitable access to affordable, quality and comprehensive health services that integrate mental health into all levels of the health care system. The resolution suggests that the comprehensive mental health action plan, through the Executive Board at its 132{+n}{+d}session, be considered by the 66th World Health Assembly.

The World Health Assembly is the decision-making body of WHO. It is attended by delegations from all WHO member-states and focuses on a specific health agenda prepared by the Executive Board

Mental disorders account for 13 per cent of the global burden of the diseases and, in keeping with latest thinking, the resolution recognises the importance of early identification, care and recovery, the problems of stigma, poverty and homelessness and the need for community based intervention including de-institutionalised care. It is clearly recognised that all countries must take steps to promote mental health and empower persons with mental disorders to lead a full and productive life in the community.

India played a key role in getting mental disorders included in the non-communicable diseases (NCDs) list at the first Ministerial Conference on Healthy Lifestyles and Non-communicable Disease Control in Moscow last year. Pleading for its case, India argued that “like all non-communicable diseases, mental disorders required long term treatment and affected the quality of life.”

The principal non-communicable diseases are cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers and chronic respiratory diseases, which are the leading causes of preventable morbidity and disability, and currently cause over 60 per cent of global deaths, 80 per cent of which occur in developing countries. By 2030, the NCDs are estimated to contribute to 75 per cent of global deaths.

A 12-member policy group has been entrusted to frame the National Mental Health Care Policy and Plan, prepare a situational analysis of the need for mental health care in the country, taking into account the issues of human resources, essential drug procurement and distribution, advocacy, prevention, and rehabilitation of mental health patients.

The Hindu, 30 May, 2012, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article3471046.ece


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