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Regional targets

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Mental Health

The regional target is a 2% annual reduction, over and above current trends in the global burden of disease due to the major chronic noncommunicable conditions, measured in disability-adjusted life years.

Over the period 2006-2015 deaths from neuropsychiatric disorders are expected to increase by 14%. The major part of this increasing burden will be borne by low- and middle-income countries, where chronic noncommunicable conditions, mental disorders, violence and injuries are already responsible for at least 80% of all deaths.

Therefore, regional targets for mental health are to halt and begin to reverse current trends towards increasing burden of mental, behavioural, and neurological disorders, together with those caused by psychoactive substance use.

For that, and in order to improve mental health and quality of care of those affected, the Regional office aims at increasing the number countries that:

  • Have initiated, with WHO support, policies, plans or laws and community based projects
  • Routinely report each year basic mental health indicators 
  • Complete systematic assessments of their mental health systems by means of WHO's assessment instrument for mental health systems (WHO-AIMS) 
  • Engage in scaling -up care for mental, neurological and substance abuse disorders under the WHO Mental health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP)

Substance Abuse

Every year, alcohol consumption is linked to 2.3 million deaths globally and 60 million years of life lost. In developing countries with low overall mortality, alcohol use is the leading risk factor, accounting for 6.2% of the total burden of disease. Despite evidence of the substantial burden on health and society arising from alcohol and other psychoactive substance use, there is a continuing lack of awareness and an absence of political commitment to address these issues.

Therefore, regional targets for substance abuse are to increase in 10% the number of Member States reporting a stabilized or reduced level of harmful use of alcohol.

For that, the Regional Office aims at increasing the number of countries that:

  • Collect and analyze data on the burden of disease and death related to psychoactive substance use to inform decisions 
  • Develop, with WHO support, policies, strategies, plans and programmes for combating or preventing public health problems caused by alcohol, drugs and other psychoactive substance use 
  • Engage in implementing evidence-based substance abuse interventions and treatment services.