Mental Health Awareness Campaign from tomorrow

Kathmandu, Dec 9:  A Mental Health Awareness Campaign will be kicking off Wednesday as an initiative of the government.

The campaign will run for three months, thus last on March 14. This was shared at a press meet organized by the National Health Education, Information, and Communications Centre here on Tuesday.

Centre’s director, Dr Radhika Thapaliya, said the campaign aims to raise awareness about mental health. People from all walks of life are experiencing increased stress, and the campaign is expected to address this issue to some extent.

The theme of the campaign is: “Let’s hold open discussions on mental health; let’s benefit from the campaign.”

According to Senior Public Health Administrator at the Ministry, Upendra Dhungana, the campaign aims to promote awareness by recognizing mental health as an integral part of overall health.

Psychiatrist Dr Kedar Marhatta from the World Health Organization echoed the need for open discussions about mental health. He stated that one in ten people in Nepal experience mental health issues, making it a serious public health challenge.

According to Nepal Police data, 7,055 people committed suicide due to mental health issues in the fiscal year 2081/82 (2024-25).

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