Pakistan’s mental health crisis
Shortages of psychiatrists and continuing social stigma mean many mental illnesses remain untreated.
Published On 9 Oct 2011
Keep reading
list of 4 itemsCould a bird flu pandemic spread to humans?
Family says al-Shifa doctor was tortured to death in Israeli prison
Measles outbreak kills at least 42 people in northeast Nigeria
Advertisement
Ten to 16 per cent of Pakistanis suffer from moderate mental illnesses, according to the World Health Organisation. One per cent suffer from more severe conditions.
But the country severely lacks adequate numbers of psychiatrists and psychologists, with a ratio of severely-ill patients to doctors of 2,000 to 1.
Additionally, the social stigma associated with mental illness prevents many people from seeking treatment at all.
Al Jazeera’s Imtiaz Tyab reports from Lahore.
Source: Al Jazeera