Nepal to host regional psychiatrists meeting

Psychiatrists of South Asian countries will meet in Nepal on Nov. 17-19 to share knowledge and information about mental health problems in South Asian region.

Kapil Dev Upadhyaya, chairman of the Psychiatrists Association of Nepal, said on Friday that participants of the 2nd international conference of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Psychiatrists Federation will get to learn more about ways to cope with challenges.

"Thousands of people have been affected due to the conflict and many more are suffering from mental health problems. The conference will help us understand the problems and will find ways to solve them," Upadhyaya was quoted as saying by Nepal's leading news media group's website, thehimalayantimes.com.

The meeting, with the theme of "Social, Conflict and mental health challenges to Psychiatrists", is organized by the World Psychiatrists Association, the Nepali Department of Psychiatrists and Mental Health, and Psychiatrists Association of Nepal

According to Upadhyaya, around 300 participants from Pakistan, India, Nepal and other SAARC countries will take part in the conference.

According to a survey, 2-3 percent of the world populations suffer from severe mental disorder.

The first SAARC psychiatrists meeting was held in Agra, India last year.

Source: Xinhua