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Advocacy efforts are essential
to keep up the momentum on mental health generated by World Health Day on
Mental Health in April, 2001.In the South-East Asia Region, there are many
myths and beliefs prevalent in the Region which is a barrier to the treatment
of the mentally ill. A key challenge in dealing with this serious problem of
mental health and disability is the lack of public awareness and, in fact,
misinformation. Psychotic illnesses
are considered a "curse from Gods" or manifestations of evil
spirits or punishment for past sins.
People and communities need to be
educated about the medical nature of the ailments, to help remove the stigma
and to ensure that patients are treated and given rehabilitation and a chance
to live normally in society.
Stigma and discrimination
continue to be the biggest obstacles facing mentally ill people today. It is
essential that information about the nature of the illness is widely
disseminated through social awareness drives and through various channels of
information, particularly the media.
In the past, mental health
programmes in the countries of the South-East Asia Region have generally
concentrated on hospital-based psychiatry. However, there is increasing
awareness in these countries of the need to shift the emphasis to
community-based mental health programmes. The WHO Regional Office is
concentrating on supporting Member Countries in the development of
community-based mental health programmes as well as programmes for prevention
of harm from alcohol and substance abuse. The programmes will be gender and
culturally appropriate and reach out to all segments of the population,
including marginalized groups.
World Autism Awareness Day (April 2 every year)
Autism (or Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASD, as it is
referred to medically) is a complex neuro developmental disability which
affects normal brain function. Autism usually manifests during the first
three years of a person's life.
Autism has a wide spectrum of presentation, so no two
people with Autism will have exactly the same symptoms. In addition, the
symptoms can vary in severity from mild to severe. People with Autism have
difficulty with communication along with a wide range of social activities
and interaction. A person with Autism will usually prefer to repetitively
perform a set of behaviors and will resist any major (or even minor) changes
to daily routine.
Commemorative
activities in Regional Office April 2 2009
UN
Secretary General’s Message on World Autism Awareness Day
Dr Ala Alwan (WHO Assistant
Director-General):
Need to address
mental disorders in children WHO calls for action on World Autism Awareness
Day
Autism
Facts and Figures [PDF 1.5 MB]
World Mental Health Day (October 10 every year)
The World Mental Health Day was
first proclaimed by the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) in 1992.
The Day is co-sponsored by the World Health Organization. It is observed on
October 10 every year. Each year, there is a new theme for World Mental
Health Day.
World Health
Day 2001 (Dedicated to Mental Health Issues)
World Health Day is an annual
event of the World Health Organization (WHO). A new theme is selected each
year to highlight public health issues of world-wide concern.
World Health Day 2001 was
a global advocacy and awareness-raising activity dedicated to mental health
issues. The prime objective was to impact public opinion and stimulates
debate on how to improve the current condition of mental health around the
world. International attention is thankfully increasing for mental health
issues; however, much still needs to be done. No country and no person is immune to mental disorders and their impact in
psychological, social and economic terms is very high.
For the purposes of the Day,
WHO focused attention on the key concerns of care and exclusion as
demonstrated by a limited number of disorders: depressive disorders, schizophrenia,
Alzheimer's disease, alcohol dependence, epilepsy and mental retardation. The selected disorders are representative
world-wide of the gap between available means of intervention and their
application for both mental and neurological disorders.
The
World Health Report 2001 - Mental Health: New Understanding, New Hope
The 2001 report focuses on the
fact that mental health – neglected for far too long – is crucial to the
overall well-being of individuals, societies and countries. The report
advocates policies that are urgently needed to ensure that stigma and
discrimination are broken down and that effective prevention and treatment
are put in place. Rights of
Persons with Disabilities
These 3 short video clips are
advocacy messages to highlight the abilities of people with disabilities.
They were part of a film
festival organised by the National Trust, Minustry of Social Justice and Empowerment ,Government of India.
They bring you a
message---that the human spirit always triumphs over the human body
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