UNICEF, WHO push to put mental disorders higher up on global health agenda

UNICEF’s Henrietta Fore said the mental health crisis, now impacting up to 20 percent of adolescents every year, is affecting rich and poor alike.

In a joint push to put the child and adolescent mental disorders higher up on the global health agenda, UNICEF and the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday addressed the alarmingly high rates of self-harm, suicide, and anxiety in the world’s youth.  

UNICEF’s Henrietta Fore said the mental health crisis, now impacting up to 20 percent of adolescents every year, is affecting rich and poor alike. “This looming crisis has no borders or boundaries”, she said.  

Suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15 to 19-year-olds worldwide, and around 15 percent of adolescents in low and middle-income countries have considered suicide.  

In addition, the cost of mental disorders is not only personal but further, has societal and economic implications, the UN partners said in a press statement. 

UNICEF and WHO will co-host the first-ever conference on the topic in Florence, Italy, this week, as part of UNICEF’s “Leading Minds” global conference series for children and young persons.