First Lady Sajida Mohamed: Place of residence must not be a barrier to mental health support

First Lady Sajida Mohamed has stated that there should be a system in an island nation like the Maldives through which mental health care can be easily accessed, and that a person's place of residence should not be a barrier to this. She made these remarks while delivering a speech at the ceremony honoring the opening of the 16th International Conference of the SAARC Mental Health Federation. According to the First Lady's speech, it is accepted in the Maldives that expanding services in the field of mental well-being is an important step taken towards building a healthy country in every respect. The First Lady stated that mental well-being has been included as an important part of the Maldives' National Health Agenda. Sajida highlighted the national helpline for mental well-being as one of the important steps taken by the Maldives to work towards this path. However, she noted that merely introducing resources or services is not considered meaningful progress, and emphasized that success is measured by helping those who need such services and rebuilding their lives through them. Furthermore, she noted that many important efforts are being undertaken, including urging to access help as quickly as possible and incorporating mental well-being as part of primary healthcare, facilitated through the National Mental Health Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029 developed by the National Mental Health Department of the Ministry of Health. Sajida highlighted that it is important to have a system in an island nation like the Maldives where such services are equally accessible to everyone. She stated that no one should be deprived of the mental health support they need simply because of where they live. Furthermore, she said that no one should feel isolated when facing issues related to mental well-being. Noting that the challenges in resolving matters related to mental well-being are similar across South Asian countries, the President's spouse stated that experts from various countries are working together through the Mental Health Federation to find solutions to these challenges. She also expressed hope that the field of mental well-being would further develop in the future based on the discussions and studies conducted during the 16th conference of the federation. Among the efforts being made by the government to build a mentally healthy society, a dedicated mental health helpline for youth was also introduced on September 20 of last month. At that time, Health Minister Geela Ali revealed that a total of 23,679 calls had been received by the mental health helpline established in 2024 until the end of that month.