Second Quarter 2002 Newsletter (Last Updated On: ) A new report, Promoting Mental Health Around the World, brings together information from nineteen countries where members of the WFMH International Committee of Women Leaders for Mental Health are involved in diverse campaigns and activities. It highlights the value of their contributions, not only in promoting issues and participating in the annual WFMH World Mental Health Day campaign, but in some cases influencing their national governments health planning. The Committee was founded in 1992 to support World Mental Health Day, and the Carter Center agreed to host it. Former United States First Lady Rosalynn Carter serves as the honorary chair, and has been active in encouraging women leaders throughout the world to expand their support for mental health causes. Membership consists of women heads of state, the spouses of heads of state, and members of royal households, who as prominent citizens can draw attention to the special causes they choose to support. Gregory L. Fricchione, Director of the Carter Center Mental Health Program, notes that the common themes in the new report include moving mental health into the community, with special attention to womens mental health and human rights issues. Attention has also been drawn to problems of service delivery in all countries. The nineteen country reports include considerable background information as well as details of women leaders activities. Prime Minister Helen Clark of New Zealand has helped to make providing strong community-based mental health services one of the governments major health priorities. In Finland, where the government has given much attention to mental health in recent years, President Tarja Halonen is an active supporter of national programs. In the Republic of Honduras Former First Lady Mary de Flores has taken an interest in preventing violence against women. First Lady Ruth Cardoso of Brazil also supports this issue, which has been given considerable attention by the Ministry of Health. In Belize, First Lady Joan Musa helped to found the Mental Health Association and was instrumental in obtaining funding from the Japanese government to build an acute care psychiatric unit. In the Pacific island of Palau, First Lady Debbie Remengesau supports the work of the Mental Health Council, and attends its special events with her husband. In the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, Governor General Pearlette Louisy became patron of the Mental Health Association when it was founded in October 2000, has stayed involved in its work, and comes to speak at its fund-raising drives. Though most reports focus on recent progress, a few are very frank about describing shortcomings in their national programs. First Lady Nanuli Shevardnadze of Georgia listed the efforts of the NGO Georgian Women for Peace to support some psychiatric care institutions with very basic supplies at a time of acute economic crisis. This section states that people with mental illnesses are one of the most vulnerable social strata of Georgia and the majority of them are found without a means for survival. Copies of the Promoting Mental Health Around The World can be obtained from: The Carter Center Mental Health Program One Copenhill 453 Freedom Parkway Atlanta, Georgia 30307 USA Tel: 404 420 4165 Fax: 404 420 5158 Email: [email protected]