News from the Region
Eastern Mediterranean
Eastern Mediterranean Regional Council/WFMHWFMH President Ahmed El Azayem has been asked to serve on the health committee of Egypt’s ruling political party, and has made a presentation to the committee on violence, health and mental health. On 25 October he traveled to Tripoli, Libya, to attend a conference on substance abuse and to give a lecture at the main mental health hospital there.
The Giza Mental Health Association, a WFMH member organization, has been asked to develop the mental health component of the Ministry of Health’s primary health care reform project. The Association has implemented a successful model program for depression screening in a village of 9945 people. Out of 345 people above the age of 60 who participated, 24% were rated positive for depression. The Association is now planning to screen for other mental health problems, targeting different age groups, in order to develop a broader general strategy which can be used in other villages.