| WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT MENTAL, NEUROPSYCHIATRIC AND SUBSTANCE USE (MNS) DISORDERS ARE NOT LEFT OUT OF THE RESOLUTIONS THAT WILL BE DEVELOPED AT THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH-LEVEL MEETING ON NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES (NCDs) THAT WILL TAKE PLACE IN SEPTEMBER, 2011. There is a strong possibility that MNS disorders will be excluded from the global NCD agenda. While MNS disorders are non-communicable diseases, the focus of the current agenda on NCDs is on diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and respiratory diseases. MNS disorders have a higher global burden of disease than cancer or cardiovascular diseases, and need to be included in as a specific priority. Also, given the bi-directional relationship between mental illnesses and the other NCDs, the NCD agenda cannot be adequately addressed without addressing mental illnesses specifically and explicitly.There are several international governmental meetings that will occur to prepare for the UN meeting in September. The next such meeting is a meeting of health ministers in Moscow April 28-29, 2011. WFMH intends to present its position in Moscow as input to this meeting. (This position was developed with several global mental health organizations.) We need your help. Here are some ways that you can make a difference:
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