Your Excellency President Alberto Fernández;
Your Excellency First Lady Neo Jane Masisi;
Your Excellency Minister Andrew Little;
State Secretary Bjørg Sandkjær;
Secretary-General António Guterres;
Excellencies, dear colleagues and friends,
COVID-19 has underscored the intimate links between mental and physical health.
The pandemic has taken a huge toll on mental health – a toll we don’t yet fully understand.
WHO estimates that already-common conditions such as depression and anxiety have increased by more than 25% since the pandemic began, adding to the nearly one billion people who were already living with a mental disorder.
At the same time, COVID-19 has highlighted the gaps in the capacity of health systems around the world to address mental health conditions.
Investment in mental health remains low and the stigma surrounding it remains high.
On average, countries spend around 2% of their health budget on mental health, and in some countries there are as few as 2 mental health workers for every 100 000 people.
And yet, mental health conditions remain one of the leading contributors to the global burden of disease.
We know it is possible to reduce the treatment gap for mental health.
WHO’s World Mental Health Report highlights the latest scientific evidence, showcases examples of good practice from around the world, and gives voice to people’s lived experience of mental health conditions.
The report calls for three fundamental transformations:
First, to deepen the value and commitment we give to mental health.
This means stepping up investments in services for mental health, putting in place evidence-based policies, and including people with mental health conditions in all aspects of society to reduce stigma and discrimination.
Second, to reshape environments that influence mental health.
This means action to address risk factors for mental health, including violence, abuse and neglect; improving early childhood development; and banning pesticides that are associated with one fifth of all suicides globally.
And third, to develop and strengthen community-based mental health services.
This means building community-based networks of services that move away from custodial care in psychiatric hospitals, and integrating mental health services in primary health care.
Using examples of positive change from across the globe, this report shows that every country, no matter its situation, can significantly improve the mental health of its adults and children.
The personal narratives in this report show what effective health and social support looks like, how it can lead to recovery, and how much depends on individual and social context.
The links between mental health and public health, human rights and socioeconomic development mean that transforming policy and practice in mental health can deliver real, substantive benefits for individuals, communities and countries everywhere.
Ultimately, investing in mental health is investing in a better future – for all of us.
Because there is no health without mental health.
I thank you.