International Conference on Community Mental Health

The Hon’ble Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad will inaugurate international conference cum workshop on Asia Pacific Community Mental Health on 17 February, 2011. The Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India in collaboration with Asia Australia Mental Health, a consortium of Department of Psychiatry and Asia Link of University of Melbourne and St. Vincent’s Health - a leading health care provider of Australia, is organizing the 3-day international conference at National Institute of Health & Family Welfare (NIHFW), New Delhi. The theme of the conference is ‘Building partnership for Community Mental Health Development’.

The conference-cum-workshop will be attended by mental health leaders from 17 countries of Asia and Pacific region as well as state nodal officers of National Mental Health Programme, member secretaries of State Mental Health Authorities, leading mental health institutes, prominent NGOs working in mental health and users of mental health services from India. The conference will provide an opportunity to the delegates to share their experiences and learn from one another for developing better models of community based mental health care. It will also strengthen the leadership role of India in community mental health development.

The National Mental Health Programme of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India was launched in 1996, in 4 districts. Subsequently, in 2003 this was enhanced to include, up-gradation of Psychiatry-wings of Government Medical Colleges/ General Hospitals and Modernization of State run Mental hospitals. The outlay for the National Mental Health Programme has been increased from Rs 140 crores in the last plan to Rs 1000 crore for the present plan period. About 20% of all patients seen by primary health care doctors have one or more mental disorders. One in four families is likely to have at least one member with a behavioural or mental disorder. Together these disorders accounted for 10.5% of the global burden of disease in 1990. This burden increased to 12% in 2000 and an analysis of trends in the World Health Report – 2001 indicates this burden will increase to 15% by 2020. It is thus felt that the Community Mental Health requires global solutions and worldwide efforts to develop partnership for the same.