As our sisters and brothers in Guyana and around the world observe World Mental Health Day, the Guyana Mission in Geneva joins in the observance by reminding everyone that major increases in mental health, brain health, and substance use represent major health burdens, and contribute significantly to poverty.
Increasing numbers of people are today experiencing unbearable mental stress because of more global conflicts and more and greater-intensity natural disasters.
Even as we observe World Mental Health Day, we do so with several states in the US being pummelled by Hurricane Milton, which is leaving a trail of death and destruction. This comes at a time when these very areas have not yet recovered from the onslaught of Hurricane Helene. Just recently, our Caribbean sisters and brothers endured the assault from Hurricane Beryl that left a trail of death, injuries and destruction in several CARICOM countries. Recently, too, our sisters and brothers in various countries in Asia — like Nepal and India — reeled from the death and destruction caused by monsoon floods.
As we observe Global Mental Health Day 2024, we do so with millions around the world suffering excruciating mental agony from conflicts. There are different dimensions of this conflict-based mental agony.
There is the misery of mental stress experienced by victims. Those persons, including women and children and the elderly and disabled — who live in an environment where bombs and missiles flow like rain; who witness their loved ones being dismembered by bullets and bombs; who are surrounded every minute by death and blood — live with unending mental agony and misery. Our world has proven to be both unwilling and incapable of stopping the brutality.
There is also the misery of mental stress experienced by people who helplessly watch from afar. It is not easy to watch the brutal result of war and destruction: of headless babies, of children running with their dead infant siblings prominently displayed on lV screens around the world.
The incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has simply ballooned in the last several years through unprecedented numbers of conflict situations and through increasing natural disasters.
As a world, we can do better. World Mental Health Day 2024 reminds us that mental health insecurity is a global crisis.
• One in four persons is afflicted with mental illness at some point in their lives, more women than men.
• More than 70% of persons who suffer from acute or chronic mental illness receive no treatment or help. In developed countries, just about 33% receive treatment; in developing countries, less than 25% receive treatment.
• People with mental health issues are more susceptible to facing other health challenges, including dangerous cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. People with depression have a 40% higher risk of developing these conditions, while people with serious mental illness are twice as likely to develop them.
• Depression affects the lives of more than 280M people, with 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men being affected.
• 22% of persons who experience a conflict would develop a mental disorder.
• One in 7 adolescent children between the ages of 10 and 19 suffer from a mental health disorder.
• A debilitating social stigma is still a barrier in the response to mental health. The global economy loses about US$1 trillion annually.
I am hoping that the UNGA High-Level Meeting in September 2025 would harness the global experience, talent, willingness, and financial capacity to do something far more meaningful to tackle mental health.
I urge that while we put together more effective responses for mental health, brain health also receives more attention. The growing problem of neurodiversity (autism, AHDH, etc.) requires more attention.
The world is facing a genuine pandemic when it comes to substance use. Outside of the associated social problems, such as crime, the trail of destroyed lives is a genuine pandemic. For most developing countries, there is little to no capacity to respond.
A concerted global effort is needed to build a human resource capacity in each country to respond.
Guyana’s Geneva Mission reminds the world that, in the early stages of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the world endorsed a task-shifting strategy in building a human resource capacity to respond to HIV and AIDS. This same strategy might be of benefit in our response to mental health, brain health, and substance use.
The Mission is proud of the increasing investment Guyana is making to improve our National Mental Health Response. Tangible results have been seen. One such result is the reduced number of suicide deaths.
Finally, the 2024 theme is: Mental Health in the Workplace. We must all ensure that we provide a supportive environment to support the mental well-being of all persons at the workplace.
Leslie Ramsammy
Permanent Representative
and ambassador
Permanent Mission
of Guyana in Geneva
