MENTAL HEALTH ACTION PLAN 2013-30 (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Health)

Context: The World Health Assembly on May 29 approved a draft resolution advising member countries to incorporate mental health support in their response to humanitarian crises.

Mental Health Action Plan 2013-30

• About: It was developed in response to the growing burden of mental health disorders and the challenges that health systems around the world are facing to respond to the needs of people with mental health problems.
• Adopted at: 66th World Health Assembly
• Aim: To achieve universal health coverage for mental health.
• Target: Sustainable Development Goal target 3.4 – by 2030, reduce by one third premature deaths from noncommunicable diseases through prevention and treatment, and promote mental health and well-being.
• Objectives of the action plan:

o Strengthen effective leadership and governance for mental health

o Provide comprehensive, integrated and responsive mental health and social care services in community-based settings

o Implement strategies for promotion and prevention in mental health

o Strengthen information systems, evidence and research for mental health

• Partners: 135 countries, 60 WHO collaborating centres and academic centres, 76 nongovernmental organizations, and 17 other organizations and individual experts.

Mental Health Initiatives

• National Mental Health Programme (NMHP): Launched in 1982, to modernize mental health facilities and enhance psychiatric departments in medical institutions.
• NMHP has 3 components:

o Treatment of Mentally ill

o Rehabilitation

o Prevention and promotion of positive mental health.

• National Tele Mental Health Programme: NTMHP was launched in October 2022 to enhance access to quality mental health counseling and care services across the country.
• Tele MANAS initiative: To provide universal access to equitable, accessible, affordable and quality mental health care through 24X7 tele-mental health services as across all Indian States and UTs with assured linkages.