World Mental Health Day 2018
An event was organized by the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, Department of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Population on the occasion of World Mental Health Day, 2018. The theme for this year was “Young People and Mental Health in a Changing World”. The event was conducted on 9th October 2018 at the meeting hall of Ministry of Health and Population. It was attended by senior government officials, chiefs of different departments and centers of Ministry of Health and Population, representatives of I/NGOs working in mental health, psychiatrists, psychologists, and journalists.
The event was chaired by Chief Specialist of Ministry of Health and Population Dr. Sushil Nath Pyakurel and Honorable State Minister for Health and Population Dr. Surendra Kumar Yadav was the chief guest. Other guests on the dais included Dr. KK Rai, Chief Health Advisor to Prime Minister of Nepal, Dr. Gun Raj Lohani, Director General of Department of Health Services, Dr. Vasudev Upadhyay, Director General of Department of Ayurveda and Alternative Medicine, Prof. Dr. Desh Raj Bahadur Kunwar, senior neuropsychiatrist and Dr. Dinesh Bastola of Pratham Paila magazine. Dr. Basudev Karki, a psychiatrist at Mental Hospital, Lagankhel gave a brief presentation on the overall mental health status of Nepal, which was followed by speeches from the guests. He stated that 1 out of 4 people in Nepal are living with some form of mental illnesses and gave a few recommendations to the government including a separate mental health section and effective mental health policy and legislation.
Dr. Surendra Kumar Yadav, Hon. State Minister for Health and Population concluded the event by stressing on the need to coordinate with stakeholders for the inclusion of mental health at each provincial level.
Similarly, an interaction program on the theme of World Mental Health Day 2018 was organized jointly by TPO Nepal and psychosocial support center run by Shree Basuki Women’s Cooperative at Katunje, Suryabinayak municipality, Bhaktapur.
TPO Nepal, Ramechhap also celebrated 26th World Mental Health Day by organizing an interaction event where journalists, legal practitioners and representatives of different organizations working in Ramechhap district participated. Pandab Prasai, District Coordinator of Ramechhap highlighted the significance of World Mental Health Day, the mental health status of Ramechhap district and activities and achievements of TPO Nepal in this event.
