The mental health investment case for the Philippines was launched by the Department of Health and the United Nations in Manila on 13 October 2021.
Those attending heard that mental health conditions cost the Philippine economy a staggering 68.9 billion PHP (US$ 1.37 billion) each year, equivalent to 0.4% of its GDP. Around 96% of this cost comes from a loss in productivity, with the remaining 4% coming from health-care costs.
But the good news is that investing in a small set of evidence-based, cost-effective actions could result in 700 000 healthy life years gained and over five thousand lives being saved in the Philippines, with economic benefits of 217 billion PHP (US$ 4.3 billion) over the next ten years.
The work, led by national and international experts as part of a joint WHO/UNDP support to the Philippines under the UN Inter-Agency Task Force for Non-communicable Diseases, outlines a number of recommendations that will support the country implement the Mental Health Act, with continuing support through the WHO Special Initiative for Mental Health.
The launch included a lively discussion among experts, including the Philippine Council for Mental Health, and covered issues around improving mental health in schools and in the workplace, strengthening community mental health services, health literacy, and training and capacity building.
The launch was organized by the Philippines’ Department of Health in collaboration with the World Health Organization Philippines, as part of this year’s national mental health month titled Grateful and Hopeful: Building a Resilient Mental Health System.
You can watch a video summarizing the
Philippines mental health investment case here.