President Dr Arif Alvi has called for collective efforts for the prevention and treatment of mental health disorders.
He said this while chairing a meeting on mental health through the video link.
The President said it is a matter of serious concern that 24 percent of Pakistan’s population is suffering from mental health related issues whereas only 500-600 mental health professionals are available in the country to cater to the needs of this population. He emphasized the need for increasing the number of mental health professionals and strengthening their training to address the challenge of rising mental health disorders.
Participants of the meeting gave various suggestions to cope with the challenge of mental issues. They emphasized the need for raising awareness about the diseases, educating people about mental health, eliminating the stigma attached to it and providing quality counselling and treatment to mental health patients.
Source: Radio Pakistan