ISLAMABAD: Dr. Baseer Khan Achakzai, Director General of the Ministry of Health, emphasized on Thursday the importance of youth and the media in raising awareness of the government’s “Humraaz app,” which is accessible round-the-clock and can improve public mental health.
In an interview with the PTV news, he urged everyone to work together to prevent and cure mental health illnesses, including the media, community, provincial governments, healthcare workers, and students at medical institutions. The government has introduced a free mobile app called “Humraaz” and a free helpline called “1166” so that individuals can talk to specialists about their difficulties and concerns to support people’s health.
To avoid developing mental health problems later in life, he suggested that positive behavior be developed early in life. He also mentioned that almost 3 million people need mental health treatments, which require greater awareness through media. He asserted that Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif‘s introduction of the “Humraaz app” is a fantastic idea and that the major goal of its release is to lessen people’s tension, anxiety, and negative thinking. In response to a query, he stated that the “Humraaz app” helped us reach 30 to 35 thousand individuals, adding that we still needed to reach more people through awareness campaigns.
In response to another, he stated that it was extremely concerning that 24% of the country’s population was experiencing mental health-related problems but that only 700 to 800 mental health specialists were available in the whole country to meet this population’s needs. He added that this programme at the grassroots level included special training sessions for psychiatrists and professionals and that the application could be downloaded from the Google Play shop and Apple Play store. —APP
