The Minister of Health, Silvia Pessah Eljay, presented our country’s experience at the first Global Ministerial Mental Health Summit organized by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), held in London this October. Pessah highlighted the significant progress made in the National Mental Health Policy through the implementation of Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) throughout the country, through which Peru seeks to incorporate an intercultural care model across Latin America.
“Intercultural mental health is highly important, and we must continue developing it in a country as diverse as ours, with coastal, Andean, and Amazonian regions. We want to establish this as a model for Latin America,” stated the Minister during a meeting with the United Kingdom Ambassador, Kate Harrison.
During this meeting, both authorities discussed the agreements and commitments reached at this important Global Summit, whose objective is to strengthen mental health care worldwide. Peru participated as a guest country, presenting its experience in implementing community mental health centers in different regions of the country, which currently number 88 and are expected to reach 106 by the end of the year.
“We have the first of these facilities with an intercultural approach in the district of Nieva, in the Amazonas region. It has been designed in terms of infrastructure and emphasizes the services it provides, because beyond the use of the local language, the goal is to promote well-being while respecting the culture of the community,” explained Yuri Cutipé, Director of Mental Health at the Ministry of Health, who also participated in the Summit.
Let’s continue moving forward!
#EveryoneForMentalHealth
