ST. JOHN’S, Antigua – Antigua and Barbuda will later this month host a forum on mental health in the Americas, the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization PAHO/WHO) announced on Tuesday.
The two United Nations health organizations said that the June 25 event will be held under the theme “Uniting the Americas for Mental Health: From Commitment to Action” and is a parallel event to the 55th General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) to be held here.
“This session will provide an opportunity for discussion among Foreign Ministers to leverage regional leadership and identify common perspectives for advancing mental health and making a global contribution,” the PAHO/WHO said.
They said the objectives are to leverage regional leadership on mental health ahead of the Fourth High-Level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases and the Promotion of Mental Health and Well-being.
It will also determine regional achievements and challenges in advancing mental health from a global perspective and consolidate priorities for regional collaboration in the field of mental health.
According to the two UN organizations, the Americas region faces a growing mental health crisis with more than 160 million people having a mental health condition, the vast majority of whom lack access to quality care. Suicide, which claims more than 100,000 lives each year in the region, remains high.
They said addressing mental health is not only a health issue, but also an economic, social, and development imperative. Projections indicate that by 2030, untreated mental health problems will cost the global economy US$16 trillion in lost productivity.
“Poor mental health contributes to unemployment, lower educational attainment, poverty, homelessness, and incarceration, all of which negatively impact communities and hinder the achievement of national and regional development goals. Violence, substance use, large-scale migration, and humanitarian emergencies such as those caused by natural disasters exacerbate the current crisis in the region.”
On September 25, world leaders will gather at the United Nations General Assembly to approve the declaration resulting from the Fourth High-Level Meeting on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases and the promotion of mental health and well-being.
In 2025, the Region of the Americas has a unique opportunity to influence the global mental health agenda, the PAHO/WHO added.
