[Media Caucus] Inclusion for Final documents

[Elizabeth Carll, PhD]

Dear Tracey and all,

>From reading the posts you are doing a great job at organizing things at the
PrepCom.  It was very fortunate that you were able to attend.

>From posting it is apparent that the Media Caucus appears to be very
actively involved in revising the Political Chapeau and documents.   As a
member of the Media Caucus ( and organizer of the Health and ICT WG),  I
wanted to request the support of the Media Caucus for the include reference
to  both "physical and mental health" in the documents.

This can be inserted in Par 7. 	Furthermore, ICTs have made it
possible.........  growth and application to education, [PHYSICAL AND
MENTAL] health and science.

Also in C7. ICT applications in the operational part which lists the various
applications should include
 ? E-[physical and mental] health .

Rationale:

The human, economic, and social development referred to in the document is
by necessity built on the foundation of BOTH physical and mental health of
all people and is an essential prerequisite for reaching the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs).

Although resources for health care are often limited, this is even more so
with regard to mental healthcare.

Mental health is fundamental to overall health and productivity.   Mental
health is the foundation for learning, thinking, communicating, self-esteem,
resilience, as well as successful functioning in one’s work, family,
community, and society. Yet the majority of the world’s people do not
receive treatment for diagnosable mental disorders as mental health is often
viewed as disconnected from health services.

Many countries have no or very limited resources allocated to mental health
services, whether for trauma resulting from war, violence, and other crises,
mental illness, or stress and dual occurrences with physical illness as in
the cases of diagnosis and management of catastrophic illness.

More than 400 million people are known to suffer from mental and brain
disorders and these numbers are expected to rise sharply over the next few
decades, particularly among people in the developing world.  Despite, the
enormous social and economic burden so created, more than 40% of the world’s
countries have no articulated mental health policy, and over 30% have no
mental health programs.

It would be most unfortunate if the same also occurs with allocation of
resources in accessing, both physical and mental, health information via
ICT, especially in developing countries with limited resources.

As many of us know, if no reference is made, it often doesn't exist.

Thank you for your help with this.  Those of us who will not be able to
attend the PrepCom appreciate the opportunity to have recommendations and
revisions addressed.

Elizabeth

Dr. Elizabeth Carll
Focal Point to WSIS
International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies;
Chair, Media/ICT Working Group,
UN NGO Committee on Mental Health, New York