Washington, D.C. / April 19 – The World Bank Group and the Embassy of Canada, with the support of the World Health Organization and the Global Campaign for Mental Health, will host “Moving the needle: Mental health stories from around the world” April 19, 2018 at the Embassy of Canada in Washington, D.C. International mental health experts and advocates will convene to address deficiencies in mental health care treatment funding and increased health care costs, especially as costs impact the world’s poorest regions, with the intention of embedding mental health care into global sustainable development agendas.
Patrick J. Kennedy, founder of The Kennedy Forum, former Rhode Island Congressman, and international advocate for parity in mental health and substance use disorder treatment, will address the question: “What Does Justice Look Like for People with Mental Health and Addiction Challenges?” in a panel discussion. Other panel participants will include Paula Gaviria, Human Rights Commissioner, Office of the President of Colombia; and Julio Frenk, President of the University of Miami and former Minister of Health of Mexico and Dean of the Harvard University School of Public Health.
According to meeting organizers, depression alone affects 350 million people globally and is the leading cause of disability worldwide; the cost of this impact has been estimated to be at least $800 billion in 2010 in lost economic output, a sum expected to double to 2030.
Key outcomes from the meeting include: sharing lessons learned and progress since the World Bank Group’s 2016 meeting on mental health; providing updates on current global initiatives; and discussing progress on and challenges facing diverse stakeholders in addressing mental health care disparities.
To learn more about the World Bank Group’s initiatives on mental health, visit http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/mental-health.
###
About The Kennedy Forum
Founded in 2013 by former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy (D-R.I.), The Kennedy Forum leads a national dialogue on transforming the health care system by uniting mental health advocates, business leaders, and government agencies around a common set of principles, including full implementation of the Federal Parity Law. Launched in celebration of the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy’s signing of the landmark Community Mental Health Act, the nonprofit aims to achieve health equity by advancing evidence-based practices, policies, and programming for the treatment of mental health and addiction issues. The Kennedy Forum publishes frequent issue briefs and is a repository of other educational resources and tools focused on parity. To learn more, visit www.thekennedyforum.org.
