It made the disclosure ahead of the World Mental Health Day (WMHD), held on October 10 every year. Another WHO survey also revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic had disrupted critical mental health services in 93 per cent of countries globally, as the demand for mental health services increases. Before the outbreak of coronavirus, WHO had highlighted the underfunding of mental health, stressing that countries were spending less than two per cent of their national health budgets on mental health, and have been struggling to meet the needs of their populations. Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said: “Good mental health is absolutely fundamental to overall health and well-being. COVID-19 has interrupted essential mental health services globally just when they are needed most.

Source: The Guardian October 13, 2020 03:22 UTC