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• County and National support and appreciation to the work of AMHF

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• FundaMentalSDG press release

  Historic Step for Mental Health: The UN stresses Mental Health as Priority in the new Development Agenda2030

  New York, 30.09.15 - The United Nations have adopted the new Development Agenda 2030, the leading global development policy of the next 15 years in New York.
  In a historic step the UN has stressed mental health as a development priority.
  The new 17 Sustainable Development Goals will guide efforts across the globe to reduce poverty and increase both physical and mental health.
  
  

  After years of negotiations, the UN member states have adopted the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in their 2030 Agenda ’Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’.
  The 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 targets are now the leading global development policy for the next 15 years, ’a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity’ and an ambitious vision for the world in 2030.
  

  The UN stress Mental Health as a major factor for sustainable development
  

  Remarkably, the UN has stressed mental health as a priority for global development. With this historic decision the UN finally address the needs of millions of people with mental health problems.
  Mental Disorders are common and lethal: 1 in 4 people in the world experience a mental health condition in their lifetime. In most countries people with mental health problems are not treated, due to a lack of mental health systems and services.
  In low income countries up to 80% of people do not receive treatment, and many people are subject to inappropriate treatment, human rights violations and isolation. In 2012, suicide was the 15th leading cause of death, and 75% of suicides occurred in low- and middle-income countries.
  The social and economic costs to nations and society are tremendous.
  ’The clear inclusion of mental health as a priority within the Sustainable Development Goals is a major achievement’ says Graham Thornicroft, Professor of Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London, and director of the global initiative FundaMentalSDG to promote mental health in the UN Development Agenda 2030.
  

  More people will receive mental health treatment
  

  The aims and potential impact of this new mental health development priority will be:
  1. Fewer suicides
  2. More people with severe mental illness getting treated
  3. More national & international investment in mental health services
  The consequences of the new mental health priority in the Development Agenda 2030 are far-reaching: The 2030 Agenda is a global policy defining international development priorities, and will lead countries to set priorities for mental health in their national policies and resource planning.
  Low and middle income countries will increase their efforts to reach the targets in mental health, and higher income countries will support less developed nations with financial, human and knowledge resources.
  

  Indicators to measure and make the Development Agenda work
  

  To make the Sustainable Development Agenda and mental health targets work, the UN Member States now need to agree upon strong and robust indicators to ensure measurable, actionable, attainable results. Professor Thornicroft explains: ’The most important next step is for the UN to adopt two specific indicators (referring to treatment coverage for people with severe mental illness, and to suicide rates). Tracking these measures for every country worldwide will allow us to quantify progress to university mental health coverage in the future.’
  These indicators are crucial, because they will make progress in mental health measureable and will help to hold countries and their governments liable to their commitments and achievements.
  Only with strong indicators in the SDGs, mental health will really count in the development Agenda2030.
  

  CONTACT
  Nicole Votruba
  Co-ordinator FundaMentalSDG
  Tel: +44 (0) 207 848 0498
  Email:fundamentalsdg@gmail.com
  

  Graham Thornicroft
  Director FundaMentalSDG
  Email: graham.thornicroft@kcl.ac.uk
  

  Health Service and Population Research Department
  Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN)
  King's College London
  David Goldberg Centre Rm: M1.16 PO Box 28
  De Crespigny Park | Denmark Hill
  London SE5 8AF
  United Kingdom
  

  www.fundamentalsdg.org
  twitter.com/FundaMentalSDG
  

  Background

  
  

  FundaMentalSDG
  

  FundaMentalSDG is a global initiative to strengthen mental health in global development and include mental health in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and indicators.
  FundaMentalSDG propose 2 indicators (No. 23 & 28) to measure the success of the SDGs and ensure that the Agenda2030 targets on mental health will be met.
  The indicators are fully aligned with the WHO Global Mental Health Action Plan 2015-2030:
  - Indicator 23: Probability of dying between exact ages 30 and 70 from any of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, or suicide
  - Indicator 28: Proportion of persons with a severe mental disorder (psychosis, bipolar affective disorder, or moderate-severe depression) who are using services
  FundaMentalSDG has drafted a position paper and supporting documents to advocate at the national statistics department and UN STATs.
  More information & documents for download at www.fundamentalsdg.org
  

  2030 Agenda
  

  In the Agenda 2030 declaration the United Nations point out that behavioural, developmental and neurological disorders constitute a major challenge for sustainable development.
  They make a clear commitment to mental health stating that they want ’A world with equitable and universal access to health care and social protection, where physical, mental and social well-being are assured.’
  The UN further declare that in order ’to promote physical and mental health and well-being, and to extend life expectancy for all, we must achieve universal health coverage and access to quality health care. No one must be left behind.’
  In goal 3 of the declaration, the Health Goal, the UN point out the importance of mental health for overall health and global development.
  They state that by 2030, the aim of all countries is to ’reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being’ (target 3.4);
  ’Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse’ (target 3.5), ’universal health coverage’ (target 3.8);
  

• WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY

  WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY

  Mental illnesses can be treated!
  Be an Ambassador
  Join us at Makueni County Referral Hospital New Maternity Block Grounds
  Theme: Dignity in Mental Health
  Date: 10th October 2015
  Time: 9.00am