Mental Health
Lanka's progress commendable - WHO
Nadira GUNATILLEKE
Sri Lanka's progress in the mental health sector is commendable and
Sri Lanka has achieved a significant improvement in human resources
development and expansion of resources and facilities. Sri Lanka is on
the right track when it comes to improving mental health care, said WHO
Representative Dr. Firdosi Rustom Mehta.
Mental health is one of the most neglected areas in the world when it
comes to healthcare and medicine.
Around 30 percent of the world population suffer from some sort of
mental disorder. Around 70 percent of the people who have mental
disorders do not receive proper treatment.
One person commits suicide in the world every 40 seconds. Suicides
are much higher than the deaths caused by war and murder in the world,
Dr Mehta also said.
Sri Lanka has the world's 10th highest suicide rate. Earlier Sri
Lanka had the world's highest suicide rate, Dr. Mehta said that Japan
has the world's eighth highest suicide rate and Sri Lanka is placed
below Japan and some Baltic and Eastern European countries.
Sri Lanka is doing much better in the field of mental health when
comparing with the world's status.
He expressed these views addressing the National Mental Health Forum
at the BMICH, Colombo yesterday.
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