Latest update May 12th, 2024 12:59 AM
Oct 10, 2010 News
– millions in developing countries do not receive any treatment or care
Millions of people with common, but untreated, mental, neurological and substance use disorders can now benefit from new simplified diagnosis and treatment guidelines released on October 7, last by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
According to the WHO, the guidelines are designed to facilitate the management of depression, alcohol use disorders, epilepsy and other common mental disorders in the primary health-care setting.
The Intervention guide extends competence in diagnosis and management to non-mental health specialists including doctors, nurses and other health providers.
“In a key achievement, the Intervention guide transforms a world of expertise and clinical experience, contributed by hundreds of experts, into less than 100 pages of clinical wisdom and succinct practical advice,” says Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organisation.
The WHO revealed that almost 95 million people with depression do not receive any treatment or care, and more than 75% of people with mental, neurological and substance use disorders — including nearly 95 million people with depression and more than 25 million people with epilepsy — living in developing countries do not receive any treatment or care. Placing the ability to diagnose and treat them into the primary health care system will significantly increase the number of people who can access care.
“Improvement in mental health services doesn’t require sophisticated and expensive technologies. What is required is increasing the capacity of the primary health care system for delivery of an integrated package of care,” says Dr Ala Alwan, Assistant Director-General for Non-communicable Diseases and Mental Health at WHO.
The WHO disclosed an estimated one in four people globally will experience a mental health condition in their lifetime. People with mental, neurological and substance use disorders are often stigmatised and subject to neglect and abuse.
The resources available are insufficient, inequitably distributed and inefficiently used. In the majority of countries, less than two per cent of health funds are spent on mental health. As a result, a large majority of people with these disorders receive no care at all.
WHO through its MHGAP programme, is calling on Governments, donors and mental health stakeholders to rapidly increase funding and basic mental health services to close the huge treatment gap.
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