Lanka marks progress in mental health - WHO
Nadira GUNATILLEKE
Sri Lanka is one of the three middle income earning out of 152
countries that have made a significant progress in mental health, a
World Health Organisation (WHO) report said. The other two countries are
Chile and Brazil a Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry spokesman said.
The WHO's Mental Health Update 2008 shows Sri Lanka has achieved this
success despite a 30-year-long conflict and after facing the tsunami
which made an adverse impact on the people's mental health.
At the moment about three per cent of the total population of Sri
Lanka suffer from some kind of mental disorder.
The report has pointed out that psycho-social well-being is one of
the areas in the country that needs funds. According to the spokesman,
the Ministry has been conducting countrywide community based mental
health development programmes. The Ministry has decentralised the
implementation of these programmes.
It is the conflict ridden North and recently cleared Eastern
Provinces that show a significant success in developing mental health.
There are seven most successful districts, Jaffna, Kalmunai and
Batticaloa, Kalutara, Hambantota, Matara and Galle.
Sri Lanka required US $2 million to upgrade the mental health sector
from 2006 to 2011 and about 400,000 people receive direct benefits from
various mental health development programmes countywide.
A large number of families receive indirect benefits from the same
programmes.
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