A workshop Held to Present the Findings of a Survey on Mental Health Services for Children and Adolescents in the Country
The opening ceremony of the workshop was attended by Dr. Mohammad Hasan Ghiasy, Deputy Minister for Health Promotion and Policy at the Ministry of Public Health; Sheikh Mohammad Tahir Halim; the Chief of Staff; several central directors of the ministry; health workers; representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF; and members of the media.
Dr. Mohammad Hasan Ghiasy identified four decades of war, migration, family displacement, humanitarian crises, political instability, economic challenges, and poverty as the main factors contributing to the deterioration of mental health. He stated: "To provide better services for people with mental health conditions in the country, a national mental health policy for children and adolescents must be developed. Permanent financial resources should be allocated to the Afghan health system, human resource capacities must be strengthened, and child and adolescent mental health should be integrated into health and education policies. Specialized centers need to be established, and these services should be linked with primary health care centers, maternal and child health services, and schools."
The Deputy Minister also emphasized that the Ministry of Public Health is committed to ensuring access to mental health services for all residents of Afghanistan, particularly children and adolescents. This will be achieved through the integration of mental health services into primary and secondary health care centers, improvement of service quality, and coordinated cooperation among various sectors, especially the Ministries of Education and Labor and Social Affairs. He stressed that no one should be denied these services due to poverty, geographical barriers, or other reasons.
Similarly, Sheikh Mohammad Tahir Halim delivered a speech on the importance of mental health from an Islamic perspective, citing domestic violence, instability, illness, and the use of chemicals and drugs as major factors contributing to mental health disorders.
Also at the ceremony, Dr. Wahidullah Afghan, Head of Mental Health at the Ministry of Public Health; Dr. Murtaza Hofiani, Head of Research at HealthNet; and Dr. De Lara Manuel, Representative of the World Health Organization, delivered comprehensive speeches on the value and importance of mental health. They added: "We are working to establish 20-bed specialized mental health centers in several provinces, including Badakhshan, Bamyan, Farah, Nangarhar, and Kandahar, which will also feature dedicated mental health units for children and adolescents."
