COVID-19 pandemic has left traces of underlying mental and health issues in both adults and children. To this end, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Office for Europe along with the Greek government will reportedly support and encourage the quality of mental health care for adolescents and children across the 53 countries in the region.
As per sources, the inaugural event in Copenhagen cooccurred with the launch of the World Health Organization Athens Quality of Care Office in the capital of Greece.
The initiative is an outcome of the ongoing collaboration between the Greece government and the WHO Europe beyond the health system spectrum, encompassing the patient safety and quality of healthcare.
Hans Kluge, Regional Director at WHO Europe, stated that well-being and mental health is the basic human right which should be the core value of the health system and key to recovery from the pandemic emergency.
Hans mentioned that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused suffering to almost everyone in the society, but the most vulnerable victims remain young people and children.
Apparently, the program aims to reduce and mitigate the long-term damage the pandemic has caused to the mental health of people.
Kluge commented that in the year 2015, there were almost 4,000 suicide cases amongst the age group of 10-19 in the region.
According to Kluge, provision of quality mental health services to children and young adults is a moral obligation and an investment for their future as almost 50 per cent of all mental health issues arise during or before the age of adolescence.
The program will also cater to the millions of those who got affected by the war between Russia and Ukraine.
For the uninitiated, the program will focus on the development of national strategies, framework, and the sharing of lessons learned throughout the European region with rigid solutions and steps.
Source Credits :- https://www.mid-day.com/lifestyle/health-&-fitness/article/who-launches-new-child-mental-health-programme-for-covid-19-recovery-in-europe-23219499