Let's talk about depression during emergencies

6 May 2017
Feature story
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The Health Cluster celebrates World Health Day

The theme for World Health Day this year is depression. World Health Day – on 7 April – is the highlight of a one-year campaign run by the World Health Organization entitled: “Depression: let’s talk”.

Emergencies – typically involving significant losses to people, such as loss of family members, property and loss of the previous way of life - are a potent risk factor for depression. Depression affects both people living through humanitarian emergencies and humanitarian workers. Rates of depression can be double that of the general population in these groups.

As many Health Cluster partners currently support mental health services in emergencies, we are celebrating this day by featuring their work.