Mental health capacity-building in Pacific Island countries: global agenda with local relevance

Abstract

The Lancet series on global mental health, in 2007, highlighted that mental disorders affected the poor, disadvantaged and vulnerable populations disproportionately; that there was a scarcity of resources and inefficiency of their utilisation, leading to significant treatment gap especially in low and middle income countries (LMIC); and that low-cost effective treatments could be delivered through primary care workers.1,2 The Movement for Global Mental Health heralded in 2007 formed a coalition of individuals and organisations committed to address the treatment gap, based on twin principles of evidence of effective treatments and human rights of people with mental disorders.3 The World Health Organization (WHO), in 2008, launched its flagship program, Mental Health Global Action Plan (mhGAP) aimed at scaling up services for mental, neurological and substance abuse disorders for all countries, especially LMIC, through investment and international as well as local partnerships.4