World Leaders and Celebrities Participation in the WHO Mental Health Event in October

World leaders and celebrities participate in the WHO mental health event in October

In October is World Mental Health Day. World leaders, international celebrities and mental health advocates will gather to participate in the World Health Organization's mental health event. The WHO's first online mental health advocacy campaign in history will focus on the urgent need to address the world's long-standing under-investment in mental health. This issue has become the focus of public attention during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Is COVID Pandemic Harming Mental Health?

Nearly 1 billion people in the world have mental disorders, 3 million people die every year from harmful use of alcohol, and one person dies by suicide every 40 seconds. 

Now, billions of people around the world are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the epidemic has further affected people's mental health.

 

The World Health Organization’s Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and TikTok accounts and websites were to broadcast this free and public event from 16:00-19:00 Central European Summer Time in October.

 

The big event hosted by award-winning journalist Femi Oke will showcase a series of exciting performances, as well as dialogues with celebrities and activists about their motivation to advocate for greater investment in mental health. Participants include:

 

Cynthia Germanotta: Born to be like this, Chairman and co-founder (together with daughter Lady Gaga), and WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Mental Health

Alisson Becker: Liverpool Football Club and Brazil National Football Team goalkeeper, WHO Health Promotion Goodwill Ambassador

Natália Loewe Becker: Doctor, WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Health Promotion

Talinda Bennington: Widow of Lincoln Park lead singer Chester Bennington, founding partner of the mental health advocacy organization "320 Change of Direction"

Klas Bergling: the father of the famous DJ, musician and producer Avicii (real name Tim Bergling), co-founder of the Tim Bergling Foundation

Korede Bello: Nigerian singer and songwriter

Jonny Benjamin: mental health activist, film producer and public speaker

During the event, national and international leaders who advocate for mental health in their own countries and organizations will talk about the benefits of this commitment. These leaders include:

 

Her Majesty Queen Mathilde of Belgium

Epsy Campbell Barr, First Vice President of Costa Rica

Sigrid Kaag, Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of the Netherlands

Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Muhammad Ali Pate, Global Director of Health, Nutrition and Population Affairs, World Bank

The slogan of the big event and this year's World Mental Health Day event is: 

Act to promote mental health

 Let us invest

The event will highlight what actions can be taken at all levels to increase investment in mental health: at the individual level, take individual actions to support mental health for oneself, friends, family, and the wider community; at the national level, establish or expand mental health services.

 At the global level, invest in global programs that promote mental health.

 

Coronavirus and Mental Health

In addition to the appearances of celebrities, advocates and world leaders, the event also included a number of short videos showing WHO and partners' initiatives to improve mental health around the world. The film covers relevant plans in Jordan, Kenya, Paraguay, the Philippines, and Ukraine.

 It covers a series of mental health issues, including self-help and stress management, adolescent mental health, mental health and health workers, suicide prevention and improvement of dementia patients and their The quality of life of the caregiver. 

The World Health Organization "Health for All" Film Festival has newly established the Best Mental Health Film Award, and the list of winners will be announced during the event.

 

"Mental health is a concern for all of us," said Dévora Kestel, Director of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Use of WHO. "However, for decades, countries around the world have seriously underinvested in mental health.

Has COVID19 been Painful to psychological health?

 The COVID-19 epidemic has been painful and clearly shows that our mental health services must not only be strong enough to be provided through other means when patients cannot go to health centers. 

It also needs to be able to provide support to more people. This event will highlight that as long as you commit to investing, you can find a way forward, and that the positive benefits of such investments go far beyond public health."