The problem
While detailed information are available concerning the incidence, prevalence and burden of mental illness, we still do not know enough concerning the resources available in the various countries in order to cope with mental disorders. This fund of knowledge is indispensable in order to develope specific mental health programmes and projects in each country and to plan actions and interventions consistent with national frameworks.
The ‘ATLAS Project’
The ‘ATLAS Project’ is a mapping exercise, a sort of census, an important scientific wideranging WHO research initiative which provides previously unknown specific data concerning the available resources for mental health in 192 countries.
For each country the research has taken into consideration the following parameters:
• the development of policies, programmes and legislation in the mental health sector;
• the existence of public health facilities;
• the availability of medicines, hospital beds, qualified staff and professional training courses;
• the presence and the activities of local and international NGOs;
• the existence of data collection and monitoring systems;
• the existence of ad hoc programmes for specific categories of patients.
The ‘ATLAS Project’ was launched in 2000 and released a first ‘census’ report concerning the resources available in each country.
In its second phase ‘ATLAS 2005’ the collected data have been updated and integrated with new information concerning epidemiology of mental illness in low and middle income countries. ATLAS 2005 has thus become the most complete source of information on world mental health.
CITTADINANZA’s answer
Cittadinanza, strongly believing in the importance and in the practical and scientific value of this cognitive source, has financially supported part of the ATLAS 2005 project.
The ATLAS 2005 provides detailed information collected in a series of volumes and allows the processing of global and regional statistical data and the drawing of maps and country profiles.
The ATLAS 2005 data analysis reveals, for instance, that:
• in only 62% of world countries, where 68% of the world population lives, specific mental health policies are implemented;
• community based mental health services are only available in 50% of low income countries;
• the psychiatrists/100,000 inhabitants rate in Europe is more than 180 times higher than in Africa;
• the number of hospital beds reserved for mentally ill/10,000 inhabitants rate in Europe is 28 times higher than in South-Eastern Asia.
The project’s objective
To photograph the mental health situation in the world via the collection of still unknown data concerning the available resources in each country. Such data are fundamental for WHO and the national governments in order to develop policies, legislation and programmes suitable to cope with and take care of the needs of people with mental disorders, especially in low income countries where their needs are most disregarded and unanswered.
The resources
The ATLAS project was carried out by WHO together with six WHO Regional Centres, the WHO national centres, 192 WHO Member States and Cittadinanza.
Namely, Cittadinanza contributed to this project in 2002 with a financial support worth 40,000 US dollars.
