Community Mental Health Services will be developed

The project of “National Strategy for Development of Community-based Mental Health Services” and Action Plan to implement this document were elaborated by a group of national experts during a workshop conducted in Chisinau on October 20-21, 2011.
The documents were elaborated under Moldovan-Swiss project “Development of the system of community-based mental health services in the Republic of Moldova”, supported  by the Swiss Agency of Development and Cooperation in the Republic of Moldova, World Health Organization and Moldovan Ministry of Health.

The project of elaborated “Strategy” describes the way community-based mental health services will be developed in the Republic of Moldova, as well as their integration into primary health care”, says Jana Chihai, project manager and president of the Association SOMATO, Balti.

“National Strategy for Development of Community-based Mental Health Services” will be implemented in the period 2012-2021, in two stages (1st stage – 2012-2016; 2nd staged – 2016-2021).

The project of the “National Strategy for Development of Community-based Mental Health Services” will be examined by the World Health Organization (WHO). In the beginning of November WHO mission will come in Chisinau to finalize the document.

Currently in the Republic of Moldova there are 6 Community Mental Health Services – in Chisinau, Balti, Ungheni and Rezina. They were launched under internationally-funded projects. Experts say that providing mental health services in psychiatric hospitals contributes to stigma and people’s refuse to address these institutions. On the other hand, experience show that mental health services are more friendly towards people with mental illness, they are more efficient in rehabilitation of these people and more efficiently promote social inclusion.

According to statistical data, in the Republic of Moldova there are about 60 000 patients, of which about 28 000 have disability degree. It is estimated that the total number of people with mental illness amounts to about 100 000.