In marking the 2021 mental health day, the United Nations-UN has made it clear that without a determined action, the mental health impact may last far longer than the Covid-19 pandemic itself.
The world body however called on stakeholders to act to redress the glaring inequalities exposed by the pandemic – including the inequality in access to mental health services, adding that in high-income countries, over 75 percent of people with depression report that they do not receive adequate care while in low- and middle-income countries, over 75 percent of people with mental health conditions receive no treatment at all.
While attributing the situation to the direct consequence of chronic under-investment, as governments spend an average of just over 2 percent of their health budgets on mental health the United Nations said this is an unacceptable scenario.
The global body also said that though the world is beginning to recognize that there can be no health without mental health and registered its delightedness that member states are endorsing the World Health Organization’s updated Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan.
The United Nation acknowledged that there are positive steps taken already, but that the world still has a long way to go.
With millions of people facing grief over the loss of family members and friends, the UN said that on this year’s World Mental Health Day and every day, humanity must commit to working together with urgency and purpose to ensure quality mental health care for all people, everywhere.
