Health Minister, Sir Molywn Joseph, chaired the special session of the Organization of American States (OAS) discussion on mental heal at the 55th Regular Session of the OAS on Wednesday, the opening day, of the conference being held at the AUA Convention Centre.
“On behalf of the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, I am pleased to welcome you to this event which is jointly sponsored with the Pan American Health Organization, as an official event in this the 55th Regular Session of the General Assembly of the Organization of American States, and I acknowledge our distinguished speakers and attendees,” Sir Molwyn stated in his opening remarks.
He remarked that it is now widely recognized that “there can be no health without mental health.” However, mental health is not only a health issue, but a fundamental pillar of social and economic wellbeing and development at the national and regional levels.
“The Government of Antigua and Barbuda and PAHO are co-hosting this session, “Uniting the Americas for Mental Health: From Commitment to Action,” to inspire leadership on this very important topic across sectors in order to identify unifying perspectives on advancing mental health as an integral issue both in the Region and globally,” he stated.
Sir Molwyn observed that presentations were to be made Heads of State, Ministers of Government, Leaders of Multilateral Regional Organizations, health authorities and ambassadors speaking on the urgency of tackling mental health conditions in the Americas and highlighting the way forward.
