Mental Health Conference Concludes in Chitwan, Eight-Point Action Plan Made Public

Nepal Health News – The three-day International Mental Health Conference held in Chitwan has concluded. The conference, which took place at Chitwan Medical College from Thursday to Saturday, engaged in in-depth discussions on mental health services and the challenges associated with them in Nepal.

More than 200 experts and professionals from Nepal and various other countries actively participated in the event. Around 100 research papers were presented, and 13 panel discussions were conducted during the program.

Assessing the current state of mental health, the conference identified five major challenges. These include poor quality of services, discrimination against individuals with mental health issues, a shortage of qualified professionals, the mental well-being and migration of service providers, and a lack of coordination between government bodies and institutions.

To address these complex issues, the conference made public an eight-point commitment. This includes calls for collaboration among all levels of government, non-governmental organizations, communities, international agencies, and development partners. The focus is on resource mobilization, awareness-raising, expanding access to services, workforce development, and partnerships in education and research.

The conference concluded that mental health must be approached from the perspective of social justice and equity, with a long-term vision targeting all age groups—from children to the elderly.