Business Daily Media

Men's Weekly

.

The Seventy-sixth World Health Assembly: Urgent global action to prioritise mental health

  • Written by PR Newswire
The Seventy-sixth World Health Assembly: Urgent global action to prioritise mental health

LONDON, May 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As WHO Member States, funders, health practitioners, civil society organisations and businesses engage at the Seventy-sixth World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland from 21st – 30th May, under the theme "WHO at 75: Saving lives, driving health for all", the integration of mental health in all health programming is imperative.

Poor mental health impacts almost everyone at some point in their lives. Taking action to support each other through those challenging times is a core part of delivering Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing. It also contributes to the success of many other SDGs – covering everything from high-quality education to ending poverty.

There is no better place to make this message heard and to agree solutions than at the World Health Assembly.

UN Member States acknowledge the impact of COVID-19, conflict, economic and environmental crises on people's mental health. The unprecedented pressure exerted by these emergencies has underscored the urgent need to prioritise mental well-being. All Member States are committed to upholding the universal right to the highest attainable level of physical and mental health through the delivery of the WHO Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2023 in their territories.

Sarah Kline - CEO of United for Global Mental Health[1] says: "Mental health is a human right, an essential component of overall health, and a key driver of economic productivity. Knowing the profound impact of mental health on individuals, communities, and societies, we need the World Health Assembly, to foster a global movement that strives to put mental health at the heart of the healthcare agenda".

Five themes to be addressed:

  • Parity is essential: Mental health should be treated as just as important as physical health in all discussions and the voices of people with lived experience of mental and physical health conditions must be heard.
  • Integrating mental health accelerates all progress – whether that's into UHC, PPR or TB programmes, or achieving the SDGs.
  • Children's and young people's mental health is the priority. Accelerating action to achieve the SDGs requires a focus on these age groups.
  • Crises exacerbate mental ill health. Programmes addressing pandemics, conflict and natural disasters must integrate mental health if they are to truly serve people's needs.
  • Build on what we agree upon. We have the texts of previous high-level meetings on UHC and TB and the proposed UNGA Resolution on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support for Sustainable Development and Peace to mobilise collective action among Member States.

We strongly urge all member states attending the World Health Assembly to integrate mental health in their statements on the actions they are taking, and in the agreements made to work together in the future, including the health High-Level Meetings at the UN General Assembly later this year.

The time for action is now, and we cannot afford to delay any longer.

Together, we can create a world where mental health is universally valued, supported, and accessible to all. Let us seize this opportunity to make a lasting difference in the lives of millions around the globe.

Download our policy pack[2] for more information

Media contact: faith@unitedgmh.org[3]

 

References

  1. ^ United for Global Mental Health (unitedgmh.org)
  2. ^ policy pack (drive.google.com)
  3. ^ faith@unitedgmh.org (www.prnasia.com)

Read more https://www.prnasia.com/story/archive/4104592_AE04592_0

Why it’s time telcos rethink location and put customer experience first

Maurice Zicman, Vice President - CX Strategy at TP in Australia unpacks why the telco industry must rethink old assumptions and focus on digital-f...

Manny Shah: Is your business disappearing from Google? You’re not alone

Small business owners across Australia are panicking as their websites vanish from Google’s front pages overnight. According to Manny Shah, cofounde...

MR Roads named Queensland Finalist in the 2025 Telstra Best of Business Awards

MR Roads, co-founded by Daniel Mikus and James Rolph, has been announced as a Queensland finalist in the prestigious 2025 Telstra Best of Business...

AWS research shows strong AI adoption momentum in Australia, with startups outpacing large enterprises in innovation

Amazon Web Services (AWS), an Amazon.com company, released new research revealing that while artificial intelligence (AI) adoption continues to acce...

Changing the World One Bite At a Time: IKU Turns 40

One of Australia’s first plant-based, chef-led eateries and now ready meal provider IKU is celebrating its 40 year anniversary with the business e...

Three generations marking 45 years in hot-air balloons

Australia’s leading hot-air balloon company is celebrating 45 years in the sky and its 700,000th passenger, driven by the passion of father-son du...

Sell by LayBy