Present to commemorate the World Health Day theme on “Depression- Let’s Talk” on behalf of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force was Chief of Staff, Colonel Raymond Numa.
Numa said PNGDF is no exception and there are many physical, social, cultural and psychological factors that are beginning to emerge.
“Some of these common problems that cause burdens are in the form of culture, disasters, HIV/AIDS, drugs, alcohol and depression,” he said.
A World Health Assembly resolution passed in May 2013 has called for a comprehensive, coordinated response to mental disorder established at the country level.
The overall goal of the World Health Organization’s year- long campaign “Depression- Let’s Talk” is to recognise that there are people living throughout the world with depression who are desperately in need of help.
Numa highlighted the Government of PNG’s Vision 2050 which states that it wants to make PNG become a wiser, smarter, wiser, fair, healthy and happy society by 2050.
“To realize this vision, a national health plan was developed and aimed at improving health of all Papua New Guineans through the development of a health system that is responsive, effective, affordable, acceptable and accessible to majority of the people.”
He added that in PNG, the National Mental Health Policy and the Mental Health Act 2015 was established with the aim of improving the standards of primary health care.
“So let us work together to help fully realise the Vision 2050.”