The representative of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Angola, Antero Depina, recognized today, Tuesday, in Luanda, the efforts of the Angolan Government in addressing the mental health of children and adolescents in the country.
When speaking at the 11th Conference on “Child and Adolescent Mental Health” in reference to World Mental Health Day, marked this October 10th, Antero Depina stressed that the mental health of children and adolescents is one of the most neglected areas of the SDG.
In this particular, he referred to point number three of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), regarding health and well-being, highlighting that, even so, Angola has taken good steps in this regard. “I would like to renew our support for these important steps.
The establishment of a mental health line during COVID 19, the active involvement of the Mental Health unit and the important work carried out by all professionals are admirable”, he considered.
According to him, one in seven young people, between 10 and 19 years of age, suffer from mental disorders worldwide, with suicide being one of the five main causes of death for young people in this age group.
Globally, said the representative of the United Nations Children’s Fund, 1.2 billion adolescents in the world, aged 10 to 19, suffer from these diseases or injuries caused by them.
“Before COVID-19, it was estimated that 10 to 20 percent of children and adolescents around the world suffered from one form or another of mental health problems, with half of these problems starting by the age of 14,” he reported.
For Antero Depina, having a mental health problem should never be a reason to deprive a person of their human rights or to exclude them from decisions about their own health, as, around the world, people in this condition continue to be victims of a wide range of human rights violations.
He highlighted that many mentally disabled people are excluded from community life and discriminated against, while many others are unable to access the mental health care they need.
“Today’s event will be a fundamental step towards understanding the problems that children, adolescents and healthcare providers pose to professionals in this sector”, he said.
He added that it will allow us to begin exploring the areas of mental health, which, by the way, should be considered a priority and urgently addressed.
Antero Depina also said that Angola’s population is one of the youngest populations in the world, and that the empowerment of children and adolescents is fundamental for the country’s future development.
World Mental Health Day is taking place under the motto “Mental Health – A human and universal right”. It is celebrated annually on October 10, seeking to increase awareness of issues related to mental health on a global scale.
The date is represented by the color green and also aims to reduce the stigma surrounding mental disorders, promote understanding and support for people facing mental health challenges, in addition to encouraging governments around the world to allocate part of their resources to this area.SL/MDS