Your Excellency, Associate Professor Dr Bounkong Syhavong, Minister of Health;
Directors and Deputy Director General of Departments of health and non-health ministries;
Directors of institutes, hospitals and centers
International development partners,
Distinguished colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen
Mental illness can be just as serious – and just as deadly – as physical illness. Any doctor who has seen a patient with severe depression or schizophrenia can testify to that.
And we know from international research that mental illnesses account for 14% of the total global burden of disease. Put in simpler terms, mental illness is one of the leading causes of premature death, disability and human misery around the world.
But it can be easy to ignore this fact. In most countries, there is still a lot of shame and stigma associated with mental illness. Patients, and the communities around them, can try to hide the problem.
We also know that mental illness disproportionately affects the poor and marginalized. These groups often have less access to the health system than others, so again the true extent of the problem is hidden.
There is much that can be done, and should be done, to tackle these challenges in countries around the world.
Today, with this consultation, Lao PDR is embarking on the road of providing better access to mental health treatment, and taking steps to prevent mental illness.
The Ministry of Health, in expanding mental health support and treatment is targeting:
- people with depression (the most common mental health disorder); and
- people with psychosis (the most serious mental illness)
as the first step.
Depression is a leading cause of disability around the world and can dramatically affect a person’s ability to function and live a rewarding and productive life.
Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder and associated with considerable disability. Stigma, discrimination and violation of human rights of people with schizophrenia is common.
In its approach, the Ministry of Health has identified primary health care as an ideal platform to improve mental well-being and promotion at village level.
Primary care providers can offer mental health support to the community and overcome stigma and discrimination against people with mental illnesses, promoting better understanding of these conditions.
WHO’s Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) gives countries a practical framework for scaling up mental health services. It is particularly well adapted for lower middle-income countries such as Lao PDR.
Ministries of health can adapt the mhGAP framework according to their local context, and systems for training of healthcare workers.
The health gains from providing these services can be huge
I wish you all every success in your endeavours to improve access to mental health treatment and support services in this country. When you succeed in this, Lao PDR will be an example of best practice not just in this Region – but around the World.
Thank you. KOP CHAI LAI LAI