In 2023, the Mental health action plan for the WHO South-East Asia Region was introduced, which was a commitment to promote and facilitate access to community-based mental health services. The declaration made in Paro in 2022, known as the Paro Declaration on universal access to people-centred mental health care and services, paved the way for this action plan.
The action plan has four main objectives, with Objective 2 being focused on providing comprehensive, integrated, and responsive mental health and social care services in community-based settings. To achieve this objective, an extensive menu of options is provided to expand and strengthen community-based mental health services in WHO South-East Asia Region Member States.
Under Objective 2, several indicators have been set up to track progress towards expanding community-based mental health services. These include the number of community-based mental health centres that provide care and support options for people with mental health conditions and psychosocial disabilities in the community, such as day care centres and rehabilitation centres. Additionally, indicators such as the proportion of general hospitals with mental health units and the number of supported living facilities are also included.
Overall, this action plan aims to make sure that everyone in WHO South-East Asia Region has access to quality mental healthcare services regardless of their location or background.