GENEVA, 12 April 2022 / PRN Africa / — Sir Norman Lamb,
Commissioner Michelle Bachelet,
Our Goodwill Ambassador Cynthia Germanotta,
Excellencies, dear colleagues and friends,
Good morning, good afternoon and good evening, and welcome to this Global Launch of the WHO QualityRights e-training.
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll on the mental health of countless people around the world:
Children, students, health workers, older people, those who live alone, those who have lost their jobs, been separated from those they love, and people from all walks of life for whom the pandemic has been a source of stress, anxiety and depression.
Likewise, we continue to see the devastating impact on mental health of other humanitarian crises, in Afghanistan, Syria, Ukraine, Ethiopia, and so on.
The loss of lives and livelihoods, of homes and communities, and the displacement, trauma and grief that causes leaves scars for life.
The pandemic has also exposed huge gaps in services for mental health around the world.
And it has shown that we need a dramatic increase in awareness, investment and capacities for mental health.
Stigma and discrimination must be replaced with hope, acceptance and inclusion.
Coercive practices, violence and neglect must no longer be tolerated.
And services, policies and laws must be based on a person-centered, rights-based, holistic approach.
That’s what WHO’s QualityRights e-training is all about.
It provides essential knowledge and skills needed to build responsive mental health services.
It also provides a new perspective, understanding and guidance on how to look after one’s own mental health, and how to support others.
But this resource has implications beyond mental health.
It is about building bridges based on our common humanity, rather than creating divisions based on our differences.
We have an ambitious target for the global rollout of the QualityRights e-training – our aim is to train at least 5 million learners by the end of 2024, to impact the lives of 500 million people with mental health conditions or psychosocial disabilities.
It is achievable, but it requires galvanizing the global community – all of you – to work in partnership with WHO to use this tool in every corner of the globe.
My thanks to colleagues who have developed this training, and to all partners who continue to work with us to close the gap in access to care for mental health.
Because ultimately, there is no health without mental health.
And I would like to join also Sir Norman in appreciating the videos and the courageous people who told us their stories.
And I fully agree that the messages were very very powerful, and each person with a diagnosis has a story. That courage is what we need and we should talk about it.
I thank you.
SOURCE World Health Organization (WHO)