The Subregional Workshop on analysis, advances and perspectives of the Central American and the Dominican Republic Observatory of suicidal behavior and mental health, was held in Panama City, November 15-16, 2017.It was convened by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) through the Subregional Advisor on Mental Health and Substance Use, Carmen Martínez Viciana,with the support of the Executive Secretariat of the Council of Ministers of Health of Central America and the Dominican Republic (SE-COMISCA, for its acronym in Spanish).All countries in the Subregion were invited to the meeting. It was attended by representatives of the Observatory, the ministries of health, social security funds and mental health focal points from Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic.
The workshop focused on data analysis by country and of the Subregion available on COMISCA's platform.Also analyzed were the incorporation of suicide attempts and the advances made towards a more general and mental health-oriented Observatory.The indicators that will be part of this initiative were jointly approved.
Countries shared achievements and challenges of their mental health data systems, as well as their good practices. Dr. Andrés Herrera, of the University of León, Nicaragua, and Ms. Mary Clark, of the University of Tulane, USA, provided information on qualitative and quantitative analysis methodologies that are expected to be used by the Observatory. A commission was set up in order to improve analytical capacity. It will start working as of the beginning of 2018 with the support of the University of León, PAHO and the SE-COMISCA.
The future Central American Observatory of Mental Health is a very significant challenge for the participating countries and the Subregion, besides being a motivating example for other regions to carry it out.
