Welcome to the NGO Forum for Health website
Let me start by wishing you well for the new year – we hope the dragon will be auspicious for social justice, but we’re still facing unprecedented challenges, as individuals, organizations and the Forum itself. This means that more than ever we must focus on priorities, use our resources wisely, and build and strengthen partnerships to find new ways of working together.
We have a full and interesting programme for 2012, and I’d like to take the opportunity to set out the main areas of activity. We welcome the resolution passed at the WHO Executive Board in January on the Global burden of mental disorders and the need for a comprehensive, coordinated response from health and social sectors at country level. The Forum’s Mental Health and Psychosocial Working Group played an active role in promoting the resolution and – if it’s passed at the World Health Assembly in June – will also be actively involved in its implementation. The most important area of work in future will be at the national level, where a range of government departments and civil society actors will be involved in putting the recommendations into practice.
The Forum’s Health and Human Rights Working Group met recently to plan for the coming year. One specific aim is to assist in the development and passing of a resolution on the right to health at the WHO. It goes without saying that this will not be an easy task, and we want to join with governments and other members of civil society to make this a reality.
Our AGM will take place on 23rd May in the meeting room of Handicap International, Avenue de la Paix, Geneva, from 12:30-14:30. This is an opportunity to discuss our platform and find better ways of working together. All are welcome.
Alan Leather
President
Latest News
- Supporting Humanitarian Staff, 21 March 2012, Geneva–You are invited to our next Global Mental Health Briefing10 Mar 2012 | Read
- WHO Reform01 Feb 2012 | Read
- New!–Resolutions on Mental Health25 Jan 2012 | Read
- New Event 26 June 2012 – FORUM & FEDERATION Symposia Series on Workers’ Health27 Nov 2011 | Read
- New documents–Global Mental Health–essential reading!14 Nov 2011 | Read
Supporting Humanitarian Staff: Lessons from Research and Practice
Update 23 March 2012: See summary materials and power points in the Mental Health section of our website.
NGO Forum for Health–Global Mental Health Briefing
Wednesday, 21 March 2012 from 12.00-14.00 World Council of Churches, Main Hall, 150 rte de Ferney, Geneva
Please confirm your participation by 16 March at: info@ngo-forum-health.ch
Guest Speakers: Hannah Peters, MA and Ros Thomas, DPhil
1. Hannah Peters: Perspectives on Psychological Stressors and Psychosocial Support (based on her research interviewing humanitarian workers and disaster psychologists). Hannah holds degrees in International Relations-Politics and Human Rights from the University of Sussex. She is currently working at the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in Geneva.
2. Ros Thomas: Making Meaning of Difficult Experiences and Regulating Affect (based on her current work and 2008 thesis on the psychological health of humanitarian workers in proximity to violent settings). Ros holds graduate degrees from Oxford University and the University of the Witwatersrand, RSA. She currently is the Department Head for Psychology, Sociology, and Counselling at Webster University, Geneva.
3. Respondent: Rene Broeckli, ICRC. Moderator: Kelly O’Donnell, NGO Forum for Health.
The purpose of the GMH Briefings is to: a) present and discuss current information and evidence-based practices in global mental health and b) strengthen the global mental health network in the Geneva area and beyond.
Notes: Sandwiches/drinks provided by the Pan Pacific and South East Asia Women’s Association International. You are encouraged to arrive early and stay later for more networking and informal discussions. Parking is free at WCC–just write in the logbook at the front desk: the parking space number that your car is in and your car’s registration mark/license plate.
For more information on the topic and speakers:GMH Briefing 21 March 2012–info on speakers and topics
For the GMH Briefing announcement:Global Mental Health Briefing–Supporting Humanitarian Workers 21 March 2012
Please share with your colleagues and networks!
These two documents call for specific action at the global and national levels to prioritise and integrate mental health into budgets, health systems, and social sectors. They are very encouraging and reflect the ongoing work of so many colleagues over the last several years! Note too that it is not just mental health professionals/advocates involved here but people in different health areas and governments as well. They are well-worth reading carefully and discussing in our various settings.
**A United Nations General Assembly Special Session for Mental, Neurological, and Substance Use Disorders: The Time Has Come (17 January 2012)
Judith Bass et al, PLoS Medicine, 9(1): e1001159. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001159
**Global Burden of Mental Disorders and the Need for a Comprehensive, Coordinated Response from Health and Social Sectors at the Country Level (20 January 2012)
WHO Executive Board (to de discussed/debated at the WHO World Health Assembly in May 2012)
Second event: 26 June 2012, 12:00-14:00 in ILO, Geneva
F&F First Announcement 26 June EN
F&F First Announcement 26 Juin FR
Opening event: 6 December 2011, 10:00-14:00 in CICG Geneva – Programme in English and French. Invitation en français.
Presentations
We want to let you know about several new documents relevant for Global Mental Health (GMH). These documents are research-based and collectively address the current status of GMH in terms of challenges, progress, resources, and scaling-up strategies. We are grateful for the many researchers, authors, funders, and practitioners that have contributed to these materials. The four documents are listed below including the online links for free downloads.
1. The Lancet, Global Mental Health special issue (October 2011, with four brief comments and six articles–see the key messages at the beginning of each article for a quick overview, 75 pages)
2. Mental Health Atlas 2011, World Health Organisation (Executive Summary pages 10-11, 82 pages)
3. Grand Challenges in Global Mental Health, NIMH et al (web site; article in Nature, July 2011, four-page summary)
4. GMH: A Resource Map for Connecting and Contributing (July 2011, Psychology International, three-page overview)
Note: See also the recent materials on the home page of the Movement for Global Mental Health (and archives) as well as the recent materials in the What’s New! section of GMH-Map (six new items in thee areas of Research. Practice, and Declarations).