Opinion | Awareness not enough
Summary
Nepal faces a worsening mental health crisis with limited healthcare infrastructure and personnel, highlighting the urgent need for increased investment beyond awareness campaigns.
Key Points
- Nepal has a high prevalence of mental health problems, with 5.2% of adolescents experiencing disorders and rising suicide rates.
- Mental health services are scarce, with only 25% of health facilities providing such care and most concentrated in urban areas.
- Nepal's health budget allocates less than 1% to mental health, insufficient to tackle the growing crisis.
- Upgrading mental health infrastructure and increasing trained personnel are crucial alongside awareness campaigns.
