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AT News Report-Kabul: Minister of Public Health (MoPH) on Sunday said that, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recent estimation showed that more than a million Afghans suffer from depressive disorders and over 1.2 million suffer from anxiety disorders in the country, actual figures are likely to be much higher than above-mentioned estimation.
Ferozuddin Feroz said that accurate data on depression and mental health disorders is not available in Afghanistan
The MoPH and WHO celebrating the World Health Day here in Kabul today to increase awareness and mobilize action around depression, a common mental health disorder and the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide.
According to latest WHO estimates, more than 300 million people are living with depression globally, an increase of more than 18% between 2005 and 2015.
Deputy Minister for providing health services of MoPH Feda Mohammad Paikan Said that: “Depression affects people of all ages but the risk of becoming depressed is increased by multiple factors such as poverty, insecurity and conflict, unemployment, physical illness, gender-based violence and drug use.”
He said that depression causes mental anguish and impacts people’s ability to carry out even the simplest daily tasks, with sometimes devastating consequences for relationships with family and friends and the ability to earn a living.
“At worst, depression can lead to suicide, now the second leading cause of death among 15-29-year-olds globally,” he added.
Deputy Minister said that the MoPH has recently trained over 700 professional psychological counselors and 101 specialized mental health doctors.
Out of mentioned trained doctors, 300 are currently working in government-run health centers, while the others are working for different health NGOs, he noted.
He insisted that we need to fight the stigma and discrimination associated with depression and other mental health problems and ensure all people have access to help when they need it.
“Our campaign slogan for this year’s World Health Day is ‘Let’s Talk’. For someone suffering from depression, talking to a person they trust, whether it is a friend, family member or health worker, is often the first step towards treatment and recovery,” said Dr Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Country Representative.
“There is an urgent need for increased investment towards supporting mental health interventions in Afghanistan to ensure support is available for people with mental health disorders. We need to treat mental health with the urgency it deserves,” he added.
According to report depression is a common mental illness characterized by persistent sadness and a loss of interest in activities that people normally enjoy, accompanied by an inability to carry out daily activities, for 14 days or longer. In addition, people with depression normally have several of the following: a loss of energy; a change in appetite; sleeping more or less; anxiety; reduced concentration; indecisiveness; restlessness; feelings of worthlessness, guilt, or hopelessness; and thoughts of self-harm or suicide.
WHO has identified strong links between depression and other non-communicable disorders and diseases, Depression increases the risk of substance use disorders and diseases such as diabetes and heart disease and it is also an important risk factor for suicide.
