Main Category: Mental Health
Article Date: 18 Jan 2012 - 10:00 PST
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A team of international health experts has made a call for the United Nations to hold a United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) to focus worldwide attention on neurological and mental disorders as well as substance use disorders as a central development issue, which need commitment to improve access to care, promote human rights, and reinforce evidence on effective prevention and treatment methods.
In an article of this week's issue of PLoS Medicine, the health experts, led by Vikram Patel from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the UK and Judith Bass from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in the USA declare:
"The time has come for recognition at the highest levels of global development, namely the UN General Assembly, of the urgent need for a global strategy to address the global burden of MNS disorders."
Mental, neurological, and substance use disorders, in short MNS disorders, a fairly recent acronym invented by the World Health Organization, refer to the entire range of brain and mind disorders and are leading contributors to the global burden of disease. These disorders make a profound impact on individuals' and communities' social and economic wellbeing, but most of those affected by MNS disorders around the world have no access to evidence-based interventions, with many experiencing discrimination and abuses of their human rights.
The experts highlight three extensive areas of action that need urgent investment. One of them is to improve access to evidence-based sets of care to treat MNS disorders, whilst the second one is to realize the human rights commitment that are preserved in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to ensure that those suffering from MNS disorders live a dignified life and the last one is to broaden the knowledge about MNS disorders.
The experts argue: "Securing the commitment of a majority of governments for a UNGASS will require a concerted effort from the diverse group of stakeholders concerned with MNS disorders. The fact that MNS disorders affect people in all countries should offer considerable incentive for investments by both public and private sectors in this initiative."
They also encourage support for the development of a ''People's Charter for Mental Health'', which aims to detect the most urgent needs and convert them into practical actionable steps for countries to implement, and explain: "This charter will be developed in consultation with the organizations from 96 countries who have signed up to the ''Great Push'' initiative so far, representing over one million people including consumers, family members, advocates, researchers, professional organizations, and policy makers."
The experts conclude stating: "Together, this grand coalition of local, national, and global actors will converge their energies towards the implementation of a UNGASS to achieve the ultimate goal of reducing the global burden of MNS disorders."
Written by: Petra Rattue
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
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18 Jan. 2012.
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