Your Excellency Minister Kaag,
Secretary General As Sy,
Dear colleagues and friends,
First of all, I would like to thank Marianna for your very inspiring speech.
One in ten people living in an area affected by conflict suffers from a moderate to severe mental health condition.
It’s a burden that remains largely out of sight. It’s a hidden epidemic and a silent killer.
News reports show us the devastation of war. They show us refugees on the move, refugees in cities and refugees in large camps. But they don’t show us inside the minds of the people and how it affects their lives.
We don’t see the anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions caused by these crises.
Wounds heal. Homes are rebuilt. News cycles move on. But the psychosocial scars often go unnoticed and untreated for years.
Neglecting this problem undermines the recovery of individuals, communities and nations.
It’s also a betrayal of our commitment to universal health coverage. There is no health for all without mental health for all, including those affected by crises.
Mental health is a priority for all countries and communities, and even more so in communities affected by conflict.
Since I became Director-General, WHO has been focusing increasingly on mental health. WHO is on the ground, supporting many countries to strengthen services for both refugees and host populations.
Inspired by the success of the Minimum Initial Service Package for Reproductive Health, WHO is developing a minimum service package for mental health. And we are very pleased to do this with UNICEF and UNHCR, through funding from the Netherlands. I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to the Netherlands and especially to our sister Minister Kaag for her commitment, leadership and for her infectious drive and passion.
Our aim is to give all concerned, including providers, an evidence-based guide for the most effective and efficient interventions for mental health and psychosocial support in crisis situations.
This is one part of WHO’s commitment to improving mental health globally.
We launched a Special Initiative for Mental Health last year. As part of this, we will also be working in countries that have been affected by conflict and support refugees through government health services.
Our commitment is to make sure that mental health is included in benefit packages as part of every country’s journey towards universal health coverage.
Together we can make sure that mental health is part of universal health coverage, including for refugees and other marginalized people in our societies.
Thank you so much, en dank je wel.