Luanda - The representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Angola, Antero Depina, on Tuesday in Luanda recognized the Angolan government's efforts to address mental health of children and adolescents in the country.
Speaking at the 11th Conference on "Child and Adolescent Mental Health" to mark World Mental Health Day on October10, the UNICEF representative stressed that the mental health of children and adolescents is one of the most neglected areas of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
Regarding point number three of the SDG which covers health and well-being, he highlighted that Angola has been carrying out good work, strengthening UNICEF support to these important steps.
Depina underlined the establishment of a mental health line during the covid-19 period, the active involvement of the Mental Health Unit and the crucial work carried out by all health actors as positive aspects.
According to the UNICEF representative, one in seven young people between the ages of 10 and 19 suffers from mental illness worldwide and suicide is one of the main causes of death for young people in this age group, adding that 1.2 billion teenagers aged 10 to 19 years old worldwide suffers from diseases or self inflicted injuries.
Depina revealed that before COVID-19, it had been estimated that 10 to 20% of children and teenagers around the world suffered from one form of mental health problem or another, with half of these problems starting by the age of 14.
To the UNICEF representative, having a mental health problem should never be a reason to prevent a person from their human rights or to exclude them from decisions about their own health, since all over the world, people with mental health problems continue to be victims of a wide range of human rights violations.
The UNICEF official said that many mentally ill people are excluded from the community and discriminated against, while others have difficulty accessing the mental health care they need.
Antero Depina said that since the Angolan population is one of the youngest in the world it is crucial to empower children and young people for the country's future development.
World Mental Health Day was marked under the slogan "Mental Health - A human and universal right".
It is celebrated annually on October 10 , seeking to raise awareness of mental health issues on a global scale.
The date is represented by the green colour and aims to reduce the stigma surrounding mental disorders, promote understanding and support for people facing mental health challenges and encourage governments around the world to allocate part of their resources to this sector.
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