| Vatican City (Fides Service) - “Health is an inestimable heritage and health for all is fundamental to guarantee peace and justice among peoples”, the President of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Pastoral, Cardinal Lozano Barragán said in a statement issued in view of Mental Health Day 10 October of which the theme this year is ‘Mental and Physical health all through Life.’
The World Health Organisation estimates that 450 million people in the world suffer from mental, neurological or behavioural problems and every year 873,000 people commit suicide. Mental unease is a social-health emergency: 25% of the world’s countries have no legislation on this matter; 41% have no defined policy for mental health; in over 25% of health centres patients have no access to essential psychiatric drugs; for 70% of the world’s population less than one psychiatrist is available per every 100,000 people.
Underlining that the Church follows carefully problems of health and healthcare, the Cardinal calls for decisive action to prevent mental illnesses. The Catholic Church has always contributed to prevent and to assist mental patients and their families on the level of medical care, assistance and spiritual and pastoral care. All over the world Catholic dioceses, religious institutes and lay associations run various programmes of formation, prevention and assistance, care and accompaniment for mental patients with love, responsibility and a sense of charity.
The Cardinal encourages all those charged with responsibility for people’s health to guarantee urgently needed assistance for these people many of whom live in the streets or with the families and do not receive the scientific and technical assistance they need and deserve . (AP) (6/10/2005 Agenzia Fides; Righe:26; Parole:320)
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