Wellbeing Newsline: World

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Americas: Mental health treatment falls far short of needs, claims PAHO

Plan to integrate current services into primary care

Edited by Nick Adams: Lack of funds and resources for mental health services throughout the Americas, together with a failure to integrate them into primary health care, has left the majority of people in the region without the mental health care they need, according to the Pan American Health Organisation [PAHO].

“This is a universal problem that does not spare any country or society and affects women and men of all ages, the rich and the poor, those living in rural and in urban areas as well,” said Dr. José Luis di Fabio, manager of technology, health care, and research at the PAHO.

Latin American countries on average spend less than two per cent of their national health budgets on mental health, and most of this money goes to mental hospitals, rather than primary health services or community care, according to Dr Jorge Rodriquez, the PAHO’s senior advisor on mental health.

The integration of mental health services into primary care is central to the PAHO’s new Regional Plan of Action on Mental Health, which was recently approved by ministers of health from throughout the Americas.

The new plan focuses on implementing countries’ laws and plans for mental health reform, improvements in treatment and care for childhood mental development, mental health services delivery in primary health care, the development of human resources for mental health, along with better access to, and use of, scientific information in this area.

As a first step in the plan, 20 countries in the Latin America and Caribbean region have already completed assessments of their own mental health systems.

Visit the Pan American Health Organisation online at: www.paho.org.

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Monday, October 19, 2009

Alzheimer’s Association Mid South chapter annual Memory Walk, Tennessee

Centennial Park, Nashville, Saturday 24 October 2009

Edited by Jane Hill: It is not too late to join a team or sign–up as an individual walker for the Alzheimer’s Association Mid South chapter, annual Memory Walk at Centennial Park, Nashville on Saturday 24 October 2009 at 10am.

Registration begins at 9am with live music, a continental breakfast, activities for young people and an opening ceremony.

The organisers expect hundreds of walkers representing area businesses, churches and non–profit groups to turn–out for this year’s event. Participants raise money as a team or individual, and the proceeds help fund such programs as Safe Return for Wanderers and the Family Relief Fund for low–income caregivers.

The Association also provides educational seminars for healthcare professionals, workshops and support groups for family caregivers and public policy advocacy for improved legislation.

Organisers aim to raise awareness of the debilitating disease that affects more than 25,000 Middle Tennesseans and their families. Alzheimer’s destroys brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking and behaviour severe enough to affect work, lifelong hobbies or social life. While there is currently no cure for Alzheimer's disease, contributions to the Alzheimer’s Association help fund research as well as educate and assist patients and their families.

The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organisation in Alzheimer care, support and research. The Alzheimer’s Association works to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.

For more information about Alzheimer’s disease, to make donations or to join a Memory Walk team, visit website at: www.alz.org/altn.

Write to: Alzheimer’s Association, 4205 Hillsboro Pike, Suite 216, Nashville, Tennessee, Zip 37211, United States. Telephone: 615–292–4938.

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Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Yemen’s conflict affects thousands, says international Red Cross

Calls for armed factions to respect humanitarian law

Edited by Nick Adams: The International Committee of the Red Cross [ICRC] has announced that thousands of people in Yemen have fled their homes to take temporary refuge in the governorates of Sa'ada and Amran as armed conflict in the northern provinces has intensified.

The ICRC stated that it is alarmed about the humanitarian situation, and safety, of the country’s internally displaced population and it is particularly concerned about the plight of individuals who have taken shelter in the camps located near the hostilities in Sa'ada.

The ICRC reported that it has called-upon the armed factions to respect the rules and principles of international humanitarian law and that it has reminded them of their obligations to take all the necessary measures to spare the lives of civilians and their property, to allow the wounded and the sick to receive medical treatment, and to do everything possible to ensure that healthcare personnel, facilities and vehicles are not harmed.

Visit the International Committee of the Red Cross online at: www.icrc.org.

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Saturday, October 10, 2009

No end in sight to economic crisis for developing world, reveals UN report

Green shoots of recovery not felt by poorer nations

Edited by Jane Hill: The global economic crisis continues to push millions of the world’s most vulnerable people into poverty, hunger and early death, a recent United Nations [UN] report warns.

Estimates suggest that the world–wide recession has pushed 100 million more people below the poverty–line and 61 million people have been added to the number of jobless over the last two years, according to the report: Voices of the Vulnerable: the Economic Crisis from the Ground Up.

Deputy Secretary-General Asha–Rose Migiro said that there has been a dramatic increase in youth unemployment and that migrants also find their situation increasingly precarious. Forecasts predict that financial help to developing countries will be reduced by over seven per cent this year.

The report, part of a new UN initiative to monitor and draw attention to new crises, notes that an increase of 100 million people suffer from hunger and infant mortality rates are set to rise by an additional 200,000 to 400,000 deaths each year from now to 2015, if the crisis persists.

Visit the United Nations online at: www.un.org.

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Monday, October 5, 2009

International relief does not reach ordinary Afghans, warns aid agency

Humanitarian situation made worse by ongoing conflict

Edited by Nick Adams: Too few ordinary Afghans benefit from the international aid efforts in their country, recently warned international aid agency Oxfam.

Oxfam claims that much of the money given by foreign governments is ineffective, uncoordinated or wasteful, and doesn’t reach the people it is intended for.

According to the international aid agency, Afghanistan experiences some of the worst poverty levels in the world with many of its citizens living below the poverty line.

The agency goes on to say that one woman dies every 30 minutes due to pregnancy or childbirth and that after nearly eight years of Western presence in the country, many areas face severe food shortages with 7.3 million of the population at risk of hunger.

The organisation added that the situation is made worse by the nation’s continued conflict with the result that many places are off-limits to aid workers.

Oxfam concluded that relief can make a huge difference in Afghanistan, but, it has to be well-spent and it must also be accompanied by major reforms in both governance and aid effectiveness.

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Friday, September 25, 2009

Behavioural changes key to the prevention of abuse in Liberia’s schools

UN envoy speaks out against sexual exploitation

Edited by Nick Adams: The United Nations [UN] envoy to Liberia, Ellen Margrethe Løj, has stressed the need for greater awareness and behavioural changes to combat sexual exploitation and abuse within the country’s schools system; and she went on to reiterated the commitment that the UN made to help the West African nation in its efforts to meet these objectives.

According to the UN Mission in Liberia [UNMIL], young girls are often intimidated or lured into having sex with teachers in exchange for grades.

Ellen Margrethe Løj recently spoke at a ceremony in the capital, Monrovia, where she emphasised the need for greater efforts to be made to ensure that teachers do not take advantage of young girls and she called upon Liberian men to change their behaviour.

UNMIL also attended the event and distributed thousands of books which contained messages to raise awareness, offer support to young female students and to deter perpetrators.

UN agencies in Liberia are part of a taskforce, on sexual and gender-based violence, that also includes non-governmental organisations and the Government.

All of the organisations who are involved in the project employ methods to empower young girls to say ‘no’ to unwanted sexual and exploitative advances by people in positions of authority.

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Sunday, September 13, 2009

World Bank continues to aid Armenia’s rural road network project

Aims to improve wellbeing and create jobs

Edited by Jane Hill: Additional finance has recently been granted, by the World Bank, to help Armenia continue the Lifeline Road Improvement Project [LRIP–AF].

The aim of the LRIP-AF is to assist the Government of Armenia in its ongoing efforts to improve the accessibility of the country’s main roads for the rural population and to create employment.

Also, the scheme will help the state to reduce the impact of the global economic crisis on both its economy and the wellbeing of its population.

According to the World Bank, the poor conditions of the lifeline roads, which connect the country's rural communities to its main highways, affects the lives and work of people who live in the countryside.

For example, the inability to bring crops to market has resulted in losses of 40 per cent or more, and in some communities up to 80 per cent.

The improvements to the road network will therefore help farmers and small businesses in rural areas bring their products to market more easily and at a lower cost.

For further information on the World Bank’s activities in Armenia, visit website: www.worldbank.org.

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