Comittee : World Health Organization

Agenda : Mental Health Action Plan: Promoting Care and Treatment

Name : Fajriyatul Kamal
Delegate : Netherlands

According to the Netherlands Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, people who
have mental health problems can get support by online or from their GP or company
doctor. Firstly, online mental health support may help if people are suffering from
mild mental or social problems. If people are having trouble sorting their problems,
they can go to their GP or company doctor. Moreover, if they are sure their problems
are not physical, they can also see a welfare worker. However, if their GP consider
that their problems are too complex to treat themselves, these providers may refer
them to a primary mental healthcare provider, or directly to secondary care. Primary
mental healthcare may provide a combination of counselling and online support.
Meanwhile, secondary mental health care is intended for patients with serious and
complex psychiatric disorders.

Earlier this year, Laura Cole who is a mental health consumer in the Netherlands
said “The support so far has been good, but the expats should be aware that children
under the age of 18 do not qualify for mental health insurance. You can see a
provider, but insurance will not cover any of it. The costs are also quite high for the
consultations and plans.” By seeing that, it means there are some points which need to
be done. For example, we expect more support for children and teenagers. Not only
that, we also should be able to add an additional package that covers mental health for
them.

In its 2014 report, the WHO found that the two most significant determinants of
mental illness in least developed countries are an individual’s physical health and
whether or not one is living in poverty. An increase in foreign aid spending (which
currently makes up less than 1 percent of the United States’ federal budget) could
strengthen medical infrastructure and lower poverty rates in the developing world.
When investing in medical access, it is also important for least developed countries to
emphasize improving mental health as well as physical health, and to remove many of
the negative stigmas that surround the issue. This kind of assistance could create a
positive environment where those who suffer from major depressive disorders are
encouraged to seek help and support from the medical community and their peers.
Alleviating global poverty and increasing education on mental illness in developing
countries should also be part of any solution to what has become a global epidemic.

WHO advocates for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society response

anchored on a shared vision for the future of mental health in the Region. WHO also
leads high-profile advocacy campaigns to mobilize partners and resources, whilst
raising awareness among decision makers and the general public. Other than that,
WHO supports Member States in establishing appropriate institutional, legal,
financing and service arrangements to ensure that the mental health of the population
is protected, promoted, and restored, and substance use is controlled. In conclusion,
WHO clearly can undertake an initiative to promote mental health awareness in
member countries in cooperation with government and other local or regional NGOs.

The WHO can strengthen effective leadership and governance for mental health
by developing well-defined mental health policies and plans which are critical to good
governance and leadership for mental health. These contribute to improving the
organization, accessibility, and quality of service delivery, and fostering engagement
with stakeholders, including people with lived experience, their care givers, and the
community at large. WHO also regularly collects information on mental health
policies and resources, through the Mental Health Atlas, and collaborates with
partners and networks to build leadership capacity and strengthen governance.