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MENTAL HEALTH BULLETIN

November-December 2019 Vol. 14. No. 6

Trinidad and Tobago - First Caribbean Congress on youth and adolescent health

Port of Spain, 15-17 October. - A consortium of Caribbean and regional partners, including PAHO/WHO, hosted a regional Congress to mobilize greater investment and connect, collaborate and align efforts in the Caribbean for the promotion and protection of the health and well-being of all adolescents and young people. 

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WHO - Mental Health Forum


Geneva, 14-15 October. -
The World Health Organization’s Mental Health Forum was held in Geneva, Switzerland, with the participation of representatives of the Member States, agencies of the United Nations, NGOs and other academic organizations and institutions, as well as WHO collaborating centers.

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Peru - Inauguration of the first university community mental health center
 
Lima, 15 October. - Peru has managed to develop an extensive network of community mental health services and, continuing with the State's commitment to this model, the first Community Mental Health Center was inaugurated at the National University of San Marcos in Lima. The meeting was attended by Mr. Martín Vizcarra, President of the Republic, Dr. Zulema Tomás, Minister of Health, and Mrs. Flor Pablo, Minister of Education. Also attending the event were Dr. Rubén Mayorga Sagastume, PAHO/WHO Representative in Peru, and Dr. Andrea Bruni, PAHO/WHO Regional Advisor on Mental Health and Substance Use, among other authorities.
 
More information available in Spanish at: https://www.paho.org/per/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4402:hablemos-se-inaugura-primer-centro-de-salud-mental-comunitaria-universitario-en-universidad-nacional-mayor-de-san-marcos&catid=1106&Itemid=1062

Honduras - International workshop on health legislation


Tegucigalpa, 23-25 October. -
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) organized an International workshop on health legislation, with the objective of presenting and discussing legislation for achieving access and universal healthcare coverage, as well as the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and their risk factors.

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Peru - Strengthening the approach to mental health in people with tuberculosis
 
Lima, 29-30 October. - A workshop was held in Lima on "Strengthening the approach to mental health problems in people living with tuberculosis" that was organized by the Peruvian Ministry of Health and the PAHO/WHO Country Office. The objective pursued was to train attendees from the Ministry of Health (MINSA) and Lima’s Directions of Integrated Health Networks (DIRIS, for its acronym in Spanish) to provide comprehensive care to people affected by tuberculosis, including treatment of possible mental health disorders.
 
More information in Spanish is available at: https://www.paho.org/per/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4415:ops-oms-peru-participa-de-taller-fortalecimiento-del-abordaje-de-los-problemas-de-salud-mental-en-las-personas-afectadas-por-tuberculosis-pat&catid=1105&Itemid=101

PAHO/WHO - Recognition for work with young students with special abilities

Washington D.C., October 2019. - The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) received two awards in October for its project with young students with autism who come to the Organization's headquarters as interns to gain work experience.

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Guatemala - Workshop on public policy for harmful alcohol consumption


Guatemala City, 5 November. -
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) organized a multisectoral workshop to discuss global and regional alcohol-related commitments, the WHO SAFER Initiative, and country needs in terms of alcohol policy. About thirty participants from various ministries and sectors were present, including the Ministry of Health, the Secretariat for the Control of Addictions and Illegal Drug Trafficking (SECCATID, for its acronym in Spanish), the Ministry of the Interior, professional associations, NGOs working with youth, representatives of the women’s and health committees of the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN), and the traffic police (road safety). Dr. Maristela Monteiro, PAHO/WHO Senior Advisor on Alcohol made a presentation on alcohol consumption, harms, global commitments, as well as on alcohol policies and their effectiveness. She also coordinated the discussions.

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Guatemala - Workshop for health professionals on alcohol screening and brief interventions

Guatemala City, 6 November. - Dr. Maristela Monteiro, PAHO/WHO Senior Advisor on Alcohol, along with Dr. Tomo Kanda, advisor for NCDs in Guatemala, led a workshop on screening and brief interventions for alcohol-related problems in primary health care, targeted to leaders that will then be able to train health other professionals from five regions of the country. Sixteen professionals from Huehuetenango, Quiché, San Marcos, Chiquimula and Guatemala City participated in the workshop, as well as the Mental Health Coordinator at the Ministry of Health, and staff from SECCATID. The AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test), the brief intervention technique and the key components of alcohol dependence and abstinence management were presented and discussed during the workshop, along with the information material available for professionals and patients.

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PAHO/WHO - Webinar: Alcohol Use Disorders and ICD 11

Washington, D.C., 13 November. - The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) held a new session of the Alcohol and Health Webinar Series: “Alcohol Use Disorders and ICD 11”.

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Argentina - Symposium on community approaches to mental health
 
Rosario, Santa Fe, 14 November. - Dr. Andrea Bruni, PAHO/WHO Regional Advisor on Mental Health, participated in a "Symposium on Community Approaches to Mental Health," organized by the Civil Association Casa del Paraná, with the support of the Municipality of Rosario.
 
For further information in Spanish:
https://mailchi.mp/1d82bd7b1cb0/boletn-informativo-especial-noviembre-2019?e=29cefd6df5

Ecuador - 12th Ibero-American Congress of Alzheimer and workshop on the status of the Regional action plan on dementia
 

Quito, 15-16 November, 2019. -
The Mental Health and Healthy Life Course Units participated in the 12th Ibero-American Congress of Alzheimer, followed by a one-day meeting coordinated by Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI).

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Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten – Needs assessment and public health resources for substance use disorders
 
Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten, 18-22 November. - In November, a series of missions were carried out in these three countries with the objective of conducting needs assessments for the delivery of substance use services and identifying potential public health responses to the related problems, as the basis for the development of the 2020-2021 action plan.

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Dominican Republic - Community mental health training course and Dr. Sarraceno's visit

Santo Domingo, 25-30 November. -
This community mental health training course for professionals, focusing on mental health functions, organization, activities, rights protection, resources and management, was facilitated by Dr. Benedetto Saraceno, President of the Lisbon Institute for Global Mental Health, former Director of the WHO Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, and Dr. Carmen Martinez Viciana, PAHO/WHO Regional Advisor on Mental Health and Substance Use for Central America and the Latin Caribbean. The course forms part of the "Integrated technical cooperation package on mental health for the Caribbean countries".
 
In addition, other activities were carried out, most notably the meeting with Dr. Rafael Sánchez Cárdenas, Minister of Public Health, Dr. Mirna Font Frías, Director of the Regional Metropolitan Health Service, Dr. Ángel Almánzar, Director of Mental Health, and Dr. Alma Morales Salina, PAHO/WHO Representative in the country. During the meeting, emphasis was laid on the progress of the country´s mental health reform, which is now a reference model at the regional and global levels.
 
For more information in Spanish, please visit: https://www.paho.org/dor/index.php?option=com _content&view=article&id=3184:profesionales-de-salud-mental-son-capacitados-en-el-modelo-de-atencion-comunitario&Itemid=362

Visit to Salcedo

Dr. Benedetto Saraceno, along with PAHO/WHO officials, visited the Province of Salcedo, where an inspiring model of mental health and social development is being implemented. Also present, were Dr. Jaime David Fernández Mirabal, together with the team of the "Dedé Mirabal" Mental Health Center, and representatives of the municipal and provincial governments.

The Salcedo province boasts a comprehensive mental health services model, based on social development, since the 1990s. Other services offered, which represent a paradigm shift, with a strong community component, include: the center for victims of domestic, gender and sexual violence; community early childhood centers for 3- and 4-year-olds; diversity support schools, as additional support for schoolchildren with special learning needs; the center for the elderly; the day center, operating as an open social club; and the prison center, with a mixed civil-military management, which includes productive activities and regular outings to the community.  It is also worth mentioning the work in districts with diverse socio-economic concerns, where important social transformation activities are being carried out.

The Salcedo model is a successful initiative in the field of mental health that constitutes a very inspiring experience for the Region.

PAHO/WHO - Webinar to celebrate International Men’s Day - New publication on Masculinities and Health in the Americas

Washington, D.C., 19 November. - PAHO/WHO hosted a webinar to celebrate International Men’s Day and the launch of a new publication, Masculinities and Health in the Americas.

The webinar featured three experts in the area: Cathy Cuellar, PAHO/WHO Advisor on Gender and Health; Ruti Levtov, Director of Research, Evaluation and Learning for PROMUNDO; and the Director of the Men’s Health Program at the Ministry of Health of Paraguay. Presenters discussed how in cultures where a predominant masculinity known as “machismo” exists, men are vulnerable to increased risk-taking behavior and adverse health outcomes. Masculine norms such as acting tough and hypersexuality can contribute to risk behaviors like heavy alcohol and drug use, unsafe sex and limited help seeking.

The webinar also presented data from a new PAHO publication on the subject, which was reviewed by a technical team that included Dr. Claudina Cayetano, Regional Advisor on Mental Health. The publication can be accessed using the following link: http://iris.paho.org/xmlui/handle/123456789/51666.

Panama - Latin American workshop on non-communicable diseases (NCDs)
 
Panama City, 3-5 December. - The Latin American Workshop on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) was organized by the Healthy Latin America Coalition (CLAS, for its acronym in Spanish), with the sponsorship of the Panamanian Ministry of Health, NCD Alliance, IDRC Canada, and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO). Dr. Maristela Monteiro, PAHO/WHO Senior Advisor on Alcohol, presented the situation of alcohol consumption in the Region of the Americas. Also participating, were Mr. Ignacio Ibarra, PAHO/WHO Legal Advisor, Dr. Tomo Kanda, NCD Advisor at PAHO/WHO Guatemala, and Dr. Sebastián Laspiur, NCD and Mental Health Advisor in Argentina.

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PUBLICATIONS - COURSES – CONFERENCES
 
Argentina - International postgraduate course in mental health, legislation and human rights
 
Concepción del Uruguay, Entre Ríos, 19-21 November. - The International Postgraduate Course in Mental Health, Legislation and Human Rights was inaugurated at the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Entre Ríos (UNER).
 
The course is the result of a collaboration between this University and the Indian Law Society (ILS), Pune, India, with the technical support of the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO).
 
It responds to the need for training and education in the knowledge and application of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), the International Convention on the Rights of the Child and other key international human rights instruments.
 
More information in Spanish is available at: http://www.fcs.uner.edu.ar/web/fcs/index.php/noticias/680-inicio-el-curso-de-posgrado-internacional-en-salud-mental-legislacion-y-derechos-humanos 
 
Links
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Credits

Editorial Committee: Maristela Monteiro, Claudina Cayetano, Luis Alfonzo, Antony Duttiene, Andrea Bruni, Carmen Martínez, Amy Tausch, María Florencia Di Masi y Martha Koev. 

PAHO’s Mental Health Bulletin is published bimonthly in English and Spanish.

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