At the invitation of the World health Organisation (WHO), H.E. Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka addressed a gathering of high officials of that organisation, scientists, ambassadors, civil society and NGO personnel at the launch of mhGAP (Mental Health Gap Programme) in Geneva at the Kofi A. Annan conference hall of the UNAIDS.

H.E. Dr. Jayatilleka stressed that Sri Lanka, a country suffering from a protracted conflict for more than three decades with only a two dozens of professionally qualified mental health medical consultants and few hundreds of locally trained mental health medical officers to care for 20 million people, requires indeed the urgent attention of the WHO in training mental health professionals.

Tabling the country’s profile in a conflict scenario where the public deals with combatants of both sides, suicide bombers and civilians who are being affected by the conflict every day, he pointed out that there is a considerable gap between the demand of the mental health need and the supply of the mental health skills in Sri Lanka.

Referring to a video message by late Dr. Arthur C. Clarke, H.E. Dr. Jayatilleka said that when addressing the mental health concerns in Sri Lanka, the multi cultural diversity should also be taken into consideration.

In conclusion, Ambassador Jayatilleka said that the role of WHO in promoting the concept of reducing the mental health gap through the Mental Health Global Action Programme is laudable and requested the WHO to assist Sri Lanka in the area of mental health which has lagged behind despite the fact that the Sri Lanka’s primary healthcare system is known to be one of the best in the developing world.

Dr. Magaret Chan, Director General of the WHO stated that Governments around the world need to see mental health as a vital component of primary health care and added that political commitment is vital to see a progress in the area of mental health.

Assistant Director General of Non Communicable Diseases, Director of the Mental Health and Substance Abuse delivered statements at the launch. Representing their governments, Ambassadors of Brazil, Iran, Italy, Malaysia and Rwanda also addressed the gathering.