WHO Proposes Plan to Close Major MH Treatment Gap

An article published in the December 19th edition of Psychiatric News:

By Aaron Levin

The World Health Organization pushes governments and organizations around the globe to boost services for mental, neurological, and substance abuse disorders.

The "huge treatment gap" in the developing the world for psychiatric, neurological, and substance use disorders can be narrowed if governments and donors can increase funding, expand mental health services, and integrate the latter into primary care settings, said the World Health Organization (WHO) in announcing its Mental Health Gap Action Program (mhGAP) in October.

The plan seeks to strengthen commitments by governments and international organizations to put more human and financial resources into treating these disorders and expand access to targeted interventions in low-income and lower-middle-income countries.

"We have in hand, right now, all the evidence, solutions, and lines of action we need to address the global burden of morbidity and premature mortality caused by these disorders," said Margaret Chan, director general of WHO, at a news conference in Geneva. "But have no illusions.... Having evidence and a well-designed package of interventions are not enough. We will not see progress in mental health without political commitment."

To read the entire article, click here.

Margaret Chan [pictured]: "Having evidence and a well-designed package of interventions are not enough. We will not see progress in mental health without political commitment."

Credit: World Health Organization

Also see:

Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP): Scaling Up Care for Mental, Neurological, and Substance Use Disorders (PDF)