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MENTAL HEALTH BULLETIN
September - October 2019 Vol 14. No. 5
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WHO – 10 September: World Suicide Prevention Day 2019 in preparation of "World Mental Health Day" celebration under the same theme
 Every September 10th, the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), promotes the World Suicide Prevention Day to raise awareness around the globe that suicide can be prevented.
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PAHO/WHO - Webinar: Working together to prevent suicide
 Friday, 13 September. - As part of the activities to mark World Suicide Prevention Day (10 September), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) hosted a webinar titled "Working together to prevent suicide", with the participation of speakers from Colombia and Trinidad and Tobago, who presented suicide prevention experiences in different contexts.
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Panama - World Suicide Prevention Day: Valuing Life Forum
 Panama City, September 10. - Within the framework of World Suicide Prevention Day, the Pan American Health Organization participated in the “Valuing life” Forum, organized by the Panamanian Ministry of Health to improve education on the subject, disseminate information, reduce stigma and increase public awareness that suicide is preventable.
To access the full article (in Spanish), please visit: https://www.paho.org/pan/index.php? option= com_ content&view=article&id=1281:foro-valorando-la-vida-en-conmemoracion-del-dia-mundial-para-la-prevencion-del-suicidio&Itemid=442
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World Mental Health Day 2019 - Working together to prevent suicide - A day for “40 seconds of action”
World Mental Health Day, on 10 October, is a day for us to unite in our efforts to improve the mental health of people around the world. The theme selected for this year’s day is suicide prevention.
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Dominican Republic - Celebration of World Mental Health Day
Santo Domingo, October 10. - On the occasion of the celebration of World Mental Health Day, the Mental Health Office of the Dominican Ministry of Public Health, the Dominican Society of Psychiatry and the Dominican Association of Psychologists joined forces to implement a suicide advocacy campaign during October. Different activities were carried out in order to raise awareness, reduce stigma and provide information to seek timely help.
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Colombia - World Mental Health Day
 Bogotá, October 10. - Held at the Virgilio Barco Public Library, the World Mental Health Day celebration was sponsored by the Ministry of Public Health and Social Protection, with the support of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO). More than a hundred young people from different contexts such as universities, youth organizations and indigenous communities, participated in the event. They discussed suicidal behaviors in groups, analyzing possible preventive measures. The meeting was very dynamic and interactive.
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Guatemala - Young people raise their voices to prevent suicide
 Guatemala City, October 21. - In celebration of World Mental Health Day and to raise awareness about the stigma and discrimination surrounding people with mental illnesses and those who have attempted suicide, the Guatemalan Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance, together with PAHO/WHO, organized the “Let's join forces to prevent suicide” forum.
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PAHO/WHO - Webinar: WHO’s SAFER Initiative
Washington, D.C., August 14. - The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) held a new session of the Alcohol and Health Webinar Series: “WHO’s SAFER
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Paraguay - Installing mental health as a priority within the public health agenda
 Asunción, September 2. - “Mental, neurological and substance use disorders account for 19% of the total disease burden in the Region of the Americas. On the other hand, in South America, the average investment in mental health is only 2.1% of the general health budget,” said Dr. Andrea Bruni, Mental Health and Substance Use Advisor of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO).
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PAHO/WHO - Webinar: Alcohol policy advocacy and the challenges for alcohol control
Washington, D.C., September 11. - The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) held a new session of the Alcohol and Health Webinar Series: “Alcohol policy advocacy and the challenges for alcohol control.”
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Panamá - Strengthening the mental health and psychosocial response to emergencies
 Panama City, September 20. - A Regional practical training and systematization of the mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) approach and operations in the regional emergency response was held in Panama, with the objective of standardizing the role of technical experts of the PAHO/WHO Regional Response Team (RRT) and the tools used for mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) in emergencies in Latin America. It also sought to develop the capacities to implement an effective and timely response to emergencies and disasters, based on specialized, integrated and comprehensive action plans, as well as to update the list of PAHO´s RRT members in order to have a group of trained personnel for emergency response available in each country.
To access the full article (in Spanish), please visit: https://www.paho.org/pan/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1289:fortalecimiento-de-la-respuesta-de-la-salud-mental-y-psicosocial-ante-emergencias&Itemid=442
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PAHO/WHO - Regional consultation on the Global strategy
 Washington, DC. September 19-20. - The Regional Consultation on the WHO Global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol: progress, barriers and recommendations for the way forward was held at the Pan American Health Organization Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The two-day meeting included 30 member states represented by an alcohol focal point who was appointed by the Ministry of Health.
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Peru - PAHO participates in national training for the defense and promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities
 Lima, September 23-25. - Heads and representatives of the 38 regional Ombudsman’s offices met to discuss disability issues from various points of view: legal, public policies, mental health, among others. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) was represented by its Regional Advisor, Dr. Andrea Bruni, who addressed the subject from a human rights and public health perspective. Ms. Malena Pineda, Head of the Defense and Promotion Program for Persons with Disabilities of the Ombudsman's Office, and Dr. Yuri Cutipé, Executive Director of Mental Health at the Ministry of Health, shared the same thematic panel.
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British Virgin Islands - Building community resilience
 Road Town, September 2019. - Building resilience to disasters and other community stresses is a significant need, particularly given the growing frequency and intensity of disasters. In March and September 2019, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) partnering with the RAND Corporation held the first community resilience workshops in the British Virgin Islands, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. Community leaders from 8 districts and a range of backgrounds (e.g., faith-based organizations, community-emergency response teams, local and island-wide government, schools, economic and social development agencies, marketing and communications firms, police, youth empowerment projects) attended the meetings. Doctors Anita Chandra and Joie Acosta, from the RAND Corporation, facilitated the workshops
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Peru - Let's talk about dementia: presentation of WHO's dementia action plan
 Lima, September 26. - Dementia affects more than 50 million people worldwide and more than 10 million people live with this condition in the Region of the Americas. Facing this reality, talking about dementia helps fight stigma and encourages people to discover more about the disease, as well as to seek help and advice. Within the framework of the activities organized to fight against dementia, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) participated in the Multisectoral Discussion “Action plan on dementia in Peru”, organized by the Peruvian Alzheimer Association (APEAD, for its acronym in Spanish). It was attended by Dr. Andrea Bruni, PAHO/WHO Regional Mental Health Advisor; Joost Martens, Regional Director for the Americas of Alzeihmer Disease International (ADI); and Alberto De Belaunde, Congressman of the Republic.
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Germany - First INEBRIA presidency led by women
 Lübeck, Germany, September 26-27. - The International Network on Brief Interventions for Alcohol and Other Drugs (INEBRIA) elected two new co-presidents at its last conference in Lübeck: Dr. Maria Lucia Formigoni, from the Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil, and Dr. Dorothy Newbury-Birch, from the United Kingdom. The aim of this conference was to share findings from ongoing research regarding screening and brief interventions around the world, with a strong emphasis on implementation and new approaches to address harmful substance use.
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PAHO/WHO - Advances in the treatment of mental health issues at the first level of care
 Washington, D.C., 2 October. - In her opening remarks, PAHO/WHO Deputy Director, Dr. Isabella Danel, brought greetings on behalf of the Director, Dr. Carissa Etienne, who expressed her commitment “to make primary health care the backbone of our health systems, with inclusive quality health and social services that are comprehensive and integrated, with people, not disease, at the center of our efforts.”
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Colombia - Regional Workshop on deinstitutionalization in Latin America and the Caribbean
 Bogotá, October 8 and 9. - The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) organized a Regional Workshop on deinstitutionalization in Latin America and the Caribbean, with the participation of experts and professionals from 19 countries and a group of PAHO/WHO consultants with experience in mental health services reorganization processes.
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Peru - Implementation of a study on alcohol, drugs and driving injuries
 Between January and September of this year, PAHO/WHO and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) implemented a study on alcohol, drugs and driving injuries in emergency rooms in Peru, with the collection of data from 500 patients with road injuries (as drivers, passengers or pedestrians) through interviews and the detection of breath alcohol levels and the presence of 6 classes of drugs in saliva.
The data collection component of the study has been completed successfully by the team led by Dr. Hernan Malaga. Results are being analyzed and will be published in due course.
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Links
•www.paho.org/disasters
•website-dedicated-to-youth-mental-health
Social Media
•www.facebook.com/PAHOdisasters
•www.twitter.com/PAHOdisasters
Credits
Editorial Committee: Maristela Monteiro, Claudina Cayetano, Luis Alfonzo, Antony Duttiene, Andrea Bruni, Carmen Martínez, Amy Tausch, María Florencia Di Masi y Martha Koev.
PAHO’s Mental Health Bulletin is published bimonthly in English and Spanish.
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