Basseterre, St. Kitts, Aug 30, 2023 (ZIZ Newsroom): A representative of the Pan American Health Organization has described the just concluded consultations on mental health as a success.
On Monday and Tuesday officials from various sectors of society came together at the Marriot Resort to discuss mental health and updating laws related to mental health.
In an exclusive interview with ZIZ News, PAHO’s Country Programme Specialist to St. Kitts and Nevis, Anneke Wilson, said she was pleased with the turnout and the engagement.
“It was heartening to see that not just the general stakeholders, but persons from the different ministries, as well as the prime minister, also the ministers of health, persons from the legal department, and even the Attorney General himself, who was present, being committed to the process,” she said.
She said it must be noted that the outcome of the consultation would address all aspects of mental health and not just mental illness.
“There are many different issues,” she said. “We have anxiety, depression, among others. So, generally mental health and mental wellness would be taken into consideration. Because I think the law is not going to be only looking at illness. It is also going to be looking at treatment. It’s going to be looking at prevention, it’s going to be looking at rehabilitation, and making sure that persons are even given opportunity for jobs when after treatment occurs.”
Dr. Wilson said following the consultations the next step is to put together a team that would propose changes to the laws that would address issues raised over the past two days.
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