Symposium 'Rebalancing power in global mental health' on 22 March in London
On the occasion of the international campaign ‘Breaking the chains of stigma in mental health’, Fracarita International and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) organise a symposium 'Rebalancing power in global mental health'. This will be held on 22 March 2019 in the buildings of the The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).
The Congregation of the Brothers of Charity was founded in Ghent (Belgium) in 1807 and is very deeply rooted in the Belgian society and since then also in a lot of other countries. ‘There is no health without mental health’ is the baseline of their work in the numerous psychiatric centres. The Brothers of Charity work for more than 220 years in 30 countries to improve the situation of persons with mental health issues. Everywhere people are neglected, abandoned and discriminated due to their severe mental illness.
Picture: Brother of Charity talking to a patient at Sosame in Bukavu, DR Congo - ©Joost Van Heesvelde
‘There is no health without mental health’ is translated into an international campaign ‘Breaking the chains of stigma in mental health’. This was initiated in 2012 and is combined with the Dr. Guislain Award ‘Breaking the Chains of Stigma’, an initiative of Janssen Research & Development and Museum Dr. Guislain.
On the occasion of the international campaign ‘Breaking the chains of stigma in mental health’, Fracarita International and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) organise a symposium 'Rebalancing power in global mental health'. This will be held on 22 March in the buildings of the The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). It is also an auspicious occasion to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the LSHTM.
During this symposium, Brother Jimi A. Huayta Rivera, Coordinator of Fracarita International, will emphasize the importance of human dignity and faith in prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of persons with severe mental illness. The issue of using proper language, the use of indigenous approaches in mental health and - above all - love, hope and faith in every action towards persons with mental illness is the baseline of his speech.
It is also very important that Her Majesty Queen Mathilde, Queen of the Belgians, is Ambassador to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and that she pays attention to mental health and youth. She fully endorsed every initiative that highlights the importance of mental health and has given a video message for this occasion.
