The Ministry of Health held the First National Meeting for the implementation of the new mental health program “To overcome gaps in mental health – mhGAP Paraguay”, with the aim of deepening the strategic guidelines to address mental, neurological and substance use disorders at the non-specialised care level throughout the country.
This event is part of the Ñamyasãi Project: Health and Family, the National Mental Health Plan, the WHO Special Initiative on Mental Health and the Sumar Action Plan of the National Government.
Over two days, more than 130 health professionals, including psychologists, psychiatrists and other specialists from across the country, participated in this meeting, which was also attended by experts from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO).
Throughout the event, key topics for the effective implementation of the mhGAP strategy in Paraguay were discussed, such as the guidelines for its implementation, the intercultural approach to mental health and addiction care, and the situational framework of mental health in the country.
One of the topics discussed was the presentation of Law 7.018/2022 on Mental Health, which marks an achievement in national legislation and promotes a comprehensive and accessible approach to mental health care.
In addition, the National Mental Health Policy and the National Mental Health Plan 2024-2030 were discussed, key instruments that will guide the future of mental health in Paraguay.
The meeting highlighted the importance of inter-institutional collaboration and the ongoing training of health professionals in order to ensure quality care for people facing mental disorders and addictions throughout the country.
The implementation of the mhGAP program is essential to improve access to mental health services, especially in areas where specialised care is limited, the Ministry of Health reported.
The mhGAP (Mental Health Gap Action Programme) provides evidence-based tools and guidance to guide countries in implementing key mental health interventions.
With a presence in more than 90 countries and materials translated into more than 20 languages, the program has been a pillar in global mental health reform, encouraging governments and international organisations to increase financial and human resources dedicated to this area.
Consolidation of a comprehensive Mental Health Program strategy
In Paraguay, the National Directorate of Mental Health has made a commitment to implement the mhGAP program in its clinical and community versions, as part of the reform process that began after the promulgation of Mental Health Law 7,018 in 2022 and framed within the National Government’s Sumar Action Plan in its fight against mental illness. This effort seeks to reduce the existing gap in care and improve the coverage and quality of mental health services in the country.
This first meeting marked an important step in the consolidation of a comprehensive strategy to address mental disorders in Paraguay, bringing innovative solutions to the population and working together with all actors in the health system.
The Ñamyasãi Project: Health and Family seeks to improve the quality and warmth of care in health services by expanding and strengthening Family Health Units, based on an intercultural and human rights approach.
The project involves the construction of 193 new and refurbished Family Health Units that are fully equipped and the implementation of a new health management model, which will improve services and provide tools and supplies to provide quality and warm care with an intercultural approach to the entire population.
In addition, the provision of equipment and medicines to optimize the response to health crises. This project is implemented by the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare, with the technical and financial support of the World Bank.
