Joint mission team of the Ministry of Health (MoH), National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) and WHO worked in Khentii province, Mongolia during 14-16 September 2022 reviewing and evaluating the outcomes of the capacity building training for health care workers of primary and secondary levels of healthcare facilities in the province on providing mental, neurological and substance use disorders (MNS) care. The mission team included Dr G. Gankhuyag, Director, Division of NCD prevention and control, Department of Public Health, MOH, Ms M. Nomingerel, Technical Officer, Division of Primary and Referral Care, Department of Medical Services, MOH, Dr V. Bayarmaa, General Director of National Center for Mental Health, Mr Martin Vandendyck, Technical Lead MHS, DDC, WPRO, Dr Seki Eiichi, Consultant for Mental health, DDC, WPRO and Dr S. Bolormaa, Technical Officer for NCD, WHO Mongolia CO. The team visited the Health Department of Khentii province, General hospital of Khentii province, “Oyunii Shim” Family Health Center and Bayan-Ovoo soum Health Center, and discussed about challenges and achievements of mhGAP programme, and provided guidance, recommendation and support on strengthening the provision of MNS care.
Dr L. Mendbayar, Director, Department of Health, Khentii province presented mental health and the mhGAP related activities including local situation on suicide and depression and the survey result of alcohol usage in Khentii province conducted by NCMH and MNUMS under “Alcohol-Free Khentii Province” campaign started in 2012.
Dr Bavuudorj, Head of Bayan-Ovoo soum Health Center, introduced the activities and achievements at the soum level involving soum governor, school teachers and students, kindergarten teachers, civil societies and volunteers based on what he learned from the series of mhGAP training conducted by NCMH with support from WHO.
Mr Martin Vandendyck, Technical Lead MHS, DDC, WPRO highlighted that mhGAP programme of building capacity of soum health care workers on MNS care has been pioneered in Khentii province, and the programme was started successfully at local level – Family Health Center doctors and nurses are identifying, managing and following up common mental, neurological and substance use disorders issues at the primary health care level. WHO in collaboration with MoH and NCMH is aiming at scaling up mhGAP programme in Mongolia involving more provinces and districts based on the experiences gained in Khentii province and Bayanzurkh district.
mhGAP is WHO’s action plan to scale up services for mental, neurological and substance use disorders for countries especially with low and middle incomes. The priority conditions addressed by mhGAP are: depression, psychosis, suicide, epilepsy, dementia, disorders due to substance use, child and adolescent mental and behavioural disorders, and other significant mental health complaints. The mhGAP package consists of interventions for prevention and management for each of these priority conditions.