“Depressão: Vamos conversar.” - This years’ World Health Day theme resonated deeply with the Cabo Verdean population and was looked at with a very special attention.

As such, it was commemorated through many activities throughout the country which took place on World Health Day (7th of April) and in the weeks leading up to it, including a press conference with international WHO experts, a roundtable at the university with an audience of over 280 students, an open dance and aerobics class in the patio of the Government palace on World Physical Activity Day (6th of April), a discussion morning on postpartum depression with expectant and new mothers from the maternity ward at the central hospital. The island of São Vicente, the Cabo Verdean island of Art and Culture, organized through its health centers and local NGOs, and the support of WHO, the country’s first ever Festival for Health to celebrate WHD; festival in which depression was addressed through Art . Through an informal event, the organizers and its stakeholders approached the sensitive subject of depression, free of any prejudice or bias. Through many events, the Ministry of Health and Social Security of Cabo Verde, WHO, civil society and other partners came together to tackle depression, and fight the stigma surrounding this mental health condition.

This newsletter will highlight some of the major events that took place over the weeks to commemorate WHD 2017. Smaller, community-led events took place throughout the country, but for obvious reasons WHO could not be present at all of them. Therefore, a comprehensive media coverage report including available links for TV reports, articles, pictures and other available material, will be included as an annex to this newspaper.

Praia 22/03/2017  - Press conference “Depression: Let’s talk” with international WHO experts

As a first event leading up to World Health Day 2017, the WHO Cabo Verde country office organized a press conference on World Health Day 2017 and Depression, in its offices in Praia. The speakers were international WHO experts Dr. Shekar Saxena, Director of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse – the Department leading the WHD 2017 campaign- and Dr. Sebastiana Nkomo da Gama, Regional Adviser for mental health and injuries, WHO Regional Office for Africa, as well as Dr. Edith Pereira, national administrator for Health Promotion for the Cabo Verde country office. The theme for World Health Day 2017 being "Depression: Let's Talk", the questions during the press conference focused mainly on how to locally address the still widely stigmatized mental health condition called depression and how inform people, especially at-risk groups, about its causes and possible consequences, and what kind of help can be available for prevention and treatment.

According to the WHO report “Depression and other common mental disorders: global health estimates” published in 2017, the number of people living with depression increased more than 18% between 2005 and 2015. In Cabo Verde specifically, depression reaches 4.9% of the population (24, 240 people) and anxiety disorders affect 3.1% of people (15. 175) the report states.

WHO AFRO Regional Adviser for mental health and injuries Dr. Sebastiana Nkomo highlighted that the country should invest more to, on one hand, increase health infrastructures such as hospitals and clinics, but also in human resources and professionals trained to address this disease, which affects 30 million people in the 47 countries of the WHO AFRO region, meaning 4% of the population.

"In African countries, there are very few professionals trained to treat people with depression, there are few psychiatrists, few psychologists and social workers, and over 75% of the population suffering from mental disorders, including depression, do not receive any type of treatment", she said.

“Every country, whether rich or poor, large or small, regardless of culture, language, should pay more attention to depression," concluded Dr. Shekhar Saxena, Director of the department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse at WHO, adding that only to treat more people is with more resources.

Praia 24/03/2017 - Round table on depression at the University of Cabo Verde

As second main event, the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of Cabo Verde and WHO held a roundtable on Depression at the main auditorium of the Palmarejo City Campus.

The panel of the widely attended event included Dr. Shekhar Saxena (WHO-HQ), Dr. Sebastiana Nkomo (WHO AFRO), Dr. Edith Pereira (WCO CV) as well as Dr. Belmira Miranda, Coordinator of the Adolescent Health Program at the Ministry of Health and Social Security.

A part from members of the Ministry of Health and Social Security, Ministry of Education, the National Institute of Public Health, NGOs, Medical staff, and members of other universities, over 230 students attended the event.

The Coordinator of the Adolescent Health Program stressed the importance of this year’s World Health Day campaign, as “in Cabo Verde and on a global level, the concern around Depression is increasing ", she said. Students were particularly struck by the fact that depression is a common mental disorder that can affect anyone, individuals of all ages, from all walks of life, in all countries. During the round table, a member of a local NGO called for measures to end mental health discrimination, as many young people were unwilling to seek help due to stigma, or fear of stigma, around depression.

The panel was later joined by 2 more experts: Dr. Daniel Ferreira, psychiatrist and President of the NGO A Pont, National Association for the Promotion of Mental Health, and Dr. José Miguel Caldas de Almeida, Director of the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health of the Hospital Center of Lisbon, Portugal, who also contributed to a 2 hour long open discussion.

Link to TV report on this event: http://www.rtc.cv/tcv/index.php?paginas=47&id_cod=56618 

Praia 07/04/2017 - Open discussion morning on postpartum depression with expectant and new mothers from the  central hospital maternity ward

The Ministry of Health and Social Security in collaboration with WHO promoted a "Conversation morning” on postpartum depression with pregnant and post- partum women from the maternity ward at the Agostino Neto Hospital Central Hospital in Praia.

As highlighted by the Clinical Director of the hospital, Dr. Julio Andrade, the event, organized as part of World Health Day commemorations, aimed to draw attention to the fact that childbirth is an important event, and can sometimes cause worry, fatigue and sadness. Worldwide about 10% of pregnant women and 13% of women who have just given birth experience a mental disorder, primarily depression. In developing countries this is even higher, 15.6% during pregnancy and 19.8% after child birth. In Cabo Verde, the

The informal conversation round was moderated by psychologists from the Agostinho Neto Hospital, who talked about symptoms, risk factors and methods to address “feelings of sadness and worry”. The event, counted with the presence of the WHO representative in Cabo Verde, Dr. Mariano Salazar Castellón who encouraged the participants, adding that “talking with people you trust is the first step towards recovery from depression. The WR further added that Cabo Verde needed to invest in knowledge production and management, and research evidences within the national context. In order to do that, it is necessary to undertake operational research to establish/improve health information systems. He also urged to carry out scientific research in order to understand better how to phenomenon of post-partum depression manifests itself in Cabo Verde. The Director of the Executive Board of the Central Hospital, the Cabo Verde WCO Health Promotion unit, as well as medical staff and representatives of the Ministry of Health and Social Security, where also present during the informal conversation.

Link to the national TV coverage of the event: http://www.rtc.cv/index.php?paginas=13&id_cod=56987

Praia 07/04/2017 - Central Act: Forum on depression at the Government Palace

The highlight of the World Health Day celebrations consisted in a Forum on Depression, chaired by the Minister of Health and Social Security, Dr. Arlindo do Rosário, and WHO Representative in Cabo Verde, Dr. Mariano Salazar Castellon.

During the closing ceremony, Dr. Arlindo do Rosário highlighted that “It is time to overcome this idea that mental health is the least attended area of the system. I would like to go beyond this statement, because we can see what has been done for mental health promotion on all islands and in all regions of the country. The events of the past weeks further highlight the government's firm commitment to actually include mental health in our work.

He further called on all countries “to support mental health programs by allocating adequate human and financial resources to respond to this growing burden, and talk about it, and break the stigma

WHO Representative in Cabo Verde, Dr. Mariano Salazar Castellón, added that, governments, stakeholders and civil society can work together to give greater visibility to depression in the Region as WHO is committed to support member-states to address this growing public health problem.

The event was concluded with dance performances as well as an exhibition of the works created by the Center for Occupational Therapy of Psychiatry Hospital of Trinidade.

Link for national: http://www.rtc.cv/tcv/index.php?paginas=47&id_cod=56985

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For additional information, please contact:

Ms. Vesna JOVIC, Communication and Health Promotion, WHO Cabo Verde, Tel: (00238) 260 19 07 email: jovicv [at] who.int (jovicv[at]who[dot]int)