The earthquake in Haiti caused great suffering in the population due to the amount of lives lost, the number of people who suffered injuries and amputations, the loss of homes, the creation of new homes with very fragile structures and important migratory movements. These circumstances imply an increase in the psychosocial needs of the population in a country where the gap of treatment in mental health is greater than 95% (the proportion of people with mental disorders who do not receive any type of treatment) and where resources are centralized to a single department, the West.

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On March 1st, the international not-for-profit organization Global Initiative on Psychiatry (GIP) announced the appointment of its new President, Dr. Benedetto Saraceno.

Benedetto Saraceno is a psychiatrist specialized in public health, and he served as Director of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse of the World Health Organization (WHO) from 1999 to February 28th, 2010. Among his many actions, Dr. Saraceno assisted in the reform of mental health services in several countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.  

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The National Rehabilitation Strategy 2009-2013, which was established to strengthen services offered to persons living with disabilities, was officially launched in Guyana in March. The strategy was developed through collaboration between the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), and it encompasses all aspects of disability and rehabilitation services provided by public, private and voluntary services in the country. 

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From March 24th to 26th, the “Second Workshop on Mental Health in Disaster and Emergency Situations in the Caribbean” took place in Barbados. Participants had the opportunity to present and discuss the manual for mental health in emergencies that is currently being prepared. Participants included a number of representatives from the Caribbean, from universities and from Collaborating Centers of Canada. Also present at the workshop was Dr. Mark Van Ommeren, representing the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse of the World Health Organization located in Geneva.

Interns from the United States in Panama

Two psychologists from the Master’s in International Disaster Psychology Program at the University of Denver (coordinated by Professor Tom Barrett) will carry out an eight-week internship in Panama to complete their training with field experience. Both interns will participate in activities planned by Panama’s Ministry of Health in order to develop plans of operation in different health regions in the country and training courses regarding mental health in disasters and emergencies. In 2009, collaboration began between the University of Denver, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) and the Ministry of Health of Panama; this collaboration benefits professionals from the United States.

A workshop on suicide prevention was organized at the headquarters of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) in Argentina, and was directed toward two intervention teams in critical events: the National Disasters Department (DINESA) and the Provincial Mental Health Network in Critical Incidents (PROSAMIC) of the province of Buenos Aires. Ten members of the intervention teams participated in the workshop, which included psychologists, psychiatrists, journalists and social workers.

The workshop was coordinated by Hugo Cohen, PAHO-WHO’s Subregional Advisor on Mental Health for South America, and had the enthusiastic participation of professionals who, based on their practical experience, suggested proposals to approach suicidal behavior. The participants considered the workshop worthwhile for their daily work. All the activities were oriented toward the future construction of a suicide prevention network in the Region.

At the headquarters of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) in Argentina, a meeting was held with members of the Argentine Network of Families, Users and Volunteers of Mental Health Services -FUV-. The meeting was coordinated by the Subregional Advisor on Mental Health, Hugo Cohen.

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ABmenos is a campaign to prevent anorexia and bulimia through prevention workshops by using blogs www.abmenos.blogspot.comand short films on YouTube, such as “Margarita.” see part 1 and part 2

The Universidade Nova de Lisboa, through the Faculdade Ciências Medicas ( Medical School) and in collaboration with the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse of the World Health Organization, is currently developing the second International Master’s Degree in Mental Health Policy and Services (MHPS). 

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The Indian Law Society (ILS) in Pune, India, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, announced the opening of admissions to the International Diploma in Mental Health Law and Human Rights for the 2010-2011 academic year.

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