Technical cooperation between Honduras and Panama: the mental health component in general hospitals On the 10th and 11th of March, a workshop was held for the Project for Technical Cooperation among Countries (TCC / Honduras-Panama) on "The mental health component in a general hospital in a community environment," in La Ceiba, Honduras. The event was attended by Dr. Rigoberto Tabora, Hospital Director of Atlantis, representatives of the National Mental Health Program; and a large group of professionals from the Departments of Comayagua, Olancho, Cortes, Francisco Morazán and Choluteca. A delegation from Panama and officials from PAHO were also in attendance. The workshop highlighted the need to integrate mental health into general health services and to decentralize specialized services. The local experiences of La Ceiba (Honduras) and Colon (Panama) were positively assessed as this project being an opportunity to strengthen the skills of the teams of both countries. Honduras ratified the need to prioritize the training of nursing professionals and environmental health technicians in mental health issues as a strategy to strengthen the primary level of healthcare. In the month of May there will be a workshop in Panama where a technical document on the development of the mental health component in general hospitals will be presented. Belen: The Peruvian Venice
 Belen is a town built floating atop of the tributaries, the source of the Amazon River. The District of Belen is a town near the city of Iquitos and is one of the poorest and most excluded populations in the country, where the PAHO Representation in Peru is developing an intensive program of cooperation. In the first week of February of this year, Drs. Jorge Rodriguez, Regional Coordinator of Mental Health and Hugo Cohen, Subregional Adviser for Mental Health in South America for PAHO, together with PAHO staff, visited this District in Peru to analyze technical cooperation in the field of mental health.
Workshop to Strengthen the Mental Health System in Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago
 Recognising the importance of mental health, the Tobago House of Assembly in collaboration with the Tobago Regional Health Authority, the Ministry of Health and the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) held a workshop from March 3-4, 2009 on strengthening the mental health system in Tobago with a focus on enhancing the integration of mental health services into primary health care. In the workshop’s opening ceremony, the Honourable Secretary for Health and Social Services, Albert Pilgrim emphasized the commitment from the Tobago House of Assembly in this regard.
Regional Board of Health of the Health Region VI, province of Buenos Aires, Argentina
.jpg) The Regional Board of Health of the Health Region VI, was conducted in the Municipality of Quilmes, one of the most populated areas of Greater Buenos Aires. This event was attended by the Provincial Director of Preventive Medicine, Dr. Alejandro Costa - representing the Minister -, the Director of Mental Health for the Ministry of Health, Dr. Anibal Areco, the Director of Coordination of Health Regions, Dr. Carlos A. Lorenzo and the Director of Primary Care, Dr. Liliana Fishkel. Also, Directors or Associate Directors of all provincial and municipal hospitals and the Secretaries of Health of the nine municipalities that make up Health Region VI participated in the event, approximately 200 people.
Read more... Publications and Journals Mental Health Financing  A new module of the WHO Mental health policy and service guidance package is now available in Spanish. This document can be found on the websites of PAHO, WHO and INFOCOM. It is the sixth module available in that language. The next publication will be "Mental Health Information Systems” Mental health aspects of women’s reproductive health: A global review of the literature  This publication presents the available evidence on the intricate relationship between women’s mental and reproductive health. The review comprises the most recent information on the ways in which mental health concerns intersect with women’s reproductive health. It includes a discussion of the bio-psycho-social factors that increase vulnerability to poor mental health, those that might be protective and the types of programmes that could mitigate adverse effects and promote mental health. It seeks to raise awareness on an emerging issue of major importance to public health. Its purpose is to provide information on the often neglected interlinks between these two areas so that public health professionals, planners, policy makers, and programme managers may engage in dialogue to consider policies and interventions that address the multiple dimensions of reproductive health in an integrated way.
Hechos del Callejon: Por una atención psicosocial a las victimas, (Spanish) 
A publication of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Colombia, year 5, March 2009. Catalogue of Publications 2009, OPS 
The Pan American Health Organization is pleased to introduce the electronic version of the Publications Catalogue 2009.
This catalog of publications in 2009 includes a larger supply of books, many of them originated and produced in affected countries to respond more directly to national health problems. To facilitate access to the various topics contained in the catalogue, mini electronic catalogues have been created for each item with high resolution so that they can be opened and printed quickly. Prioritizing Mental Health Services in the Community, Belize. Technical document on the importance of mental health services in the community produced by the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, WHO, with the participation and support of the PAHO Representation in Belize and the National Health Authorities. Mental Health and Psychosocial Well–Being among Children in Severe Food Shortage Situations 
This document was developed by the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, in collaboration with the Department of Child and Adolescent Health; the Department of Health Action in Crises; the Department of Nutrition for Health and Development
Courses After the sucesssful launch of first academic year of International Diploma in Mental Health Law and Human Rights, at the ILS Law College, (Pune, India), Indian Law Society in collaboration with World Health Organization, Geneva, is pleased to announce admissions for academic year 2009-10. In light of the new UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which will come into force in many countries in the coming months, as well as the increasing numbers of countries undertaking mental health reform, this course will provide students with indispensable knowledge and skills to support countries in bringing about positive change in this area. The course is aimed at a wide range of people interested in this area; health professionals, social workers, lawyers, government officials, among others.
Applications for admission can be made online at: http://www.mentalhealthlaw.in/admission.html International Master in Mental Health Policy and Services  The International Master on Mental Health Policy and Services is a Universidade Nova de Lisboa initiative, developed through the Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, in colaboration with the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse of the World Health Organization (WHO).
The goal of the International Master on Mental Health Policy and Services is to strengthen the capacity of countries - particularly, developing countries - to improve mental health of their populations, through the preparation of professionals and researchers to collaborate in the implementation of mental health policy, plans and services, and to develop research in this domain. Ph.D. in Mental Health  The Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Medicine, University of Concepción, Chile, developed Master's and Doctorate programs in Mental Health. The Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health is a high-level training central in the Latin American context that forms part of, at the international level, the network RED-MARISTAN and maintains a collaborative relationship with the Mental Health Program of PAHO/WHO.
Events 18th. International Conference on Safe Communities, Cali, Colombia, 13 - 15 August, 2009 XXV World Congress on Suicide Prevention, Montevideo, Uruguay, 27 - 31 October, 2009 Editorial Committee: Jorge Rodríguez, Hugo Cohen, Víctor Aparicio, Devora Kestel, Armando Vásquez y Martha Koev PAHO’s Mental Health, Disabilities and Rehabilitation Bulletin is published bimonthly in English and Spanish. Visit our Web Page Your Subscription:
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