The Pan American Health Organisation wants Barbados and other countries in the Americas to ensure mental health is placed top of political agendas and integrated into all sectors and policies.
Countries have been told this is necessary in order to address worsening mental health in the Americas due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Director, Dr. Jarbas Barbosa says the mental health of the population of the Americas has been severely impacted by the pandemic.
He was at the time addressing the launch of the report of the High-Level Commission on Mental Health and COVID-19.
The report, titled “A New Agenda for Mental Health in the Region of the Americas”, provides countries with ten recommendations to improve mental health care.
They include strengthening suicide prevention and improving mental health data and research.
PAHO’s Director of Non Communicable Diseases and Mental Health, Dr. Anselm Hennis during the question and answer segment says the recommendations are based on evidence informed approaches.
He says the report emphasises the critical importance of positioning human rights and equity at the centre of the transformation in mental health.
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