Kabul, 12 August 2014. - Today the Ministry of Information and Culture, the Ministry of Public Health and the United Nations commemorated the International Youth Day (IYD) 2014 under the theme "Mental Health Matters". The event brought together youth experts from the Deputy Ministry of Youth Affairs and mental health experts from the Ministry of Public Health to raise awareness about mental health issues among youth and to share and acknowledge the work of mental health service provision experts.
Afghanistan National Survey on Mental Health 2003 - 2005, found that 16.5% of adult population in the country suffered from mental health disorders. In Afghanistan 63 percent of the total population is below the age of 25 and a recent survey in 2013 among youth in seven provinces found that above 50 percent required psychological and counselling support.
"It is undeniable that unfavorable living circumstances, hopelessness and sometimes youth unawareness about their rights make them face mental health conditions," said Dr Said Makhdoom Raheen, Minister of Information and Culture, during the ceremony. "Poverty, economical problems, unemployment, social instability, lack of proper living facilities, forced marriage, civil war and insecurity can be some of the many reasons for widespread mental health conditions," Dr Raheen said.
"One of Afghanistan's least recognized tragedies is the burden of mental health conditions faced by its population. The youth of Afghanistan are particularly vulnerable. In other countries facing similar conditions, we know that one in five young people will experience a mental health condition each year. This translates to more than 1 million of our young people in Afghanistan suffering from mental health conditions each year," said Dr Annette Sachs-Robertson, Acting United Nations Resident Coordinator, during her remarks.
Although mental health was included in the Basic Package of Health Services (BPHS) in 2005 and a National Mental Health Strategy was developed in 2009, there are still no comprehensive services that address the specific mental health needs of adolescents and youth. Therefore, the event brought together mental health policy makers, experts, practitioners and youth to consult and jointly agree on the mental health priorities in the National Adolescent and Youth Health strategy which is currently being developed.
Other health services have seen significant improvement during the past decade, there is hope that this event today will be one more step towards improving mental health care services in Afghanistan, with an effort to realize the commitments and suggestions made during the discussions.
Youth Art Contest - Mental Health Matters
In order to raise awareness on the diversity of mental health issues among Afghan youth the Deputy Ministry of Youth Affairs in collaboration with the United Nations organized an art contest to capture the thoughts and challenges of the Afghan youth on mental health issues. Around 40 participants from seven provinces submitted their art work to the contest. The winners were announced and recognized during the celebration of the International Youth Day.
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