In the Western Pacific Region, over 215 million people are living with a mental health condition.
Transforming mental health support into community-based health and social services can help reach more people with the care they need.
The Philippines is the first country in the Western Pacific to join the WHO Special Initiative for Mental Health, which seeks to make mental health services available in community settings, addressing service and treatment gaps.
On World Mental Health Day, Dr Jasmine Vergara, Technical Officer for Mental Health in the WHO Western Pacific Region, talks about depression and mental health in the podcast Paano Ba 'To with Bianca Gonzalez Intal, TV host, advocate, and UN Women volunteer. The podcast highlights how to access mental health support and services in the Philippines.
Listen to the podcast episode on these channels: Spotify, YouTube, Facebook.