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NIMHANS to Lead BRICS Mental Wellness Network

Confirmed

Health Desk

In Short: The Indian Express reports that the New Delhi Declaration at the 18th BRICS Summit supports the establishment of a network of training hubs and centers of excellence for mental health, with NIMHANS as the coordinating center.

Mental health-Reading
Photo: Myousry6666 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The Indian Express reports that the New Delhi Declaration adopted during the 18th BRICS Summit supports the establishment of a network of training hubs and centers of excellence (CoEs) for mental health, with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru serving as the coordinating center. According to the declaration, a designated group of representatives from each BRICS member state will jointly govern the network, ensuring balanced decision-making and shared accountability towards achieving scientific and technical cooperation for sustainable and scalable integration of mental well-being into primary healthcare.

The Network of CoEs will serve as a platform to facilitate collaborative research, policy dialogue, exchange of best practices, and the co-development of evidence-based mental health promotion strategies across BRICS countries, as stated in the declaration. Additionally, the Network will welcome the Compendium of Best Practices on Promotion of Mental Wellness, further enhancing the collaborative efforts among member states.

The declaration also welcomes the proposed establishment of the BRICS Expert Working Group on Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) under the BRICS Health Track. This platform will coordinate research on medicinal plants and herbal preparations for therapeutic and preventive uses, fostering a holistic approach to mental health care.

The Indian Express notes that the Network of CoEs could serve as a platform for dialogue, collaboration, and exchange among member states, promoting a unified approach to mental health care. This initiative aims to enhance the quality and accessibility of mental health services across BRICS nations, leveraging the expertise of NIMHANS and other centers of excellence.

The establishment of this network is part of a broader effort to integrate mental well-being into primary healthcare systems, ensuring that mental health care is more accessible and integrated into everyday medical practices. The collaborative approach taken by the BRICS nations reflects a commitment to addressing mental health issues on a global scale, with a focus on evidence-based practices and shared accountability.

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