The Italian government and the World Health Organisation (WHO) signed an agreement on October 11 to strengthen Jordan’s community mental health and disability services.
Italian Ambassador Fabio Cassese and WHO Country Representative Maria Cristina Profili signed a two-year partnership agreement at the residence of the Italian ambassador in the presence of Director of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation Amman (AICS) Michele Morana, according to an embassy statement.
At the cost of 500,000 euros, the initiative spans over 24 months and targets more than 600 beneficiaries, of whom 50 percent are women, the statement said.
It aims to improve vulnerable populations’ mental health by reorganising and strengthening the community’s mental health and disability services.
Vulnerable children and youth with developmental disabilities and intellectual disabilities will be engaged through social inclusion initiatives.
The project’s concept stems from the idea of including people with mental disabilities in a broader intervention strategy that engages the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Social Development in the de-institutionalisation process, according to the statement.
“This is a project of great relevance. It responds to the needs identified on the territory by both WHO and the Jordanian government, in a strategic approach to support the country in addressing mental disorders,” said Cassese.
“In line with the action of the Italian cooperation in favour of social inclusion, this project aims at creating synergies among relevant administrations and civil society to tackle the common challenges in the sectors of mental health and disability.” said AICS’ Morana.
“With this year’s theme: ‘Moving for mental health: Let’s invest,’ this initiative consolidates our previous and continuous collaboration between WHO, Italy and the Jordanian government, and represents an important step in our partnership to continue to support the efforts to guarantee quality mental health care to all those who need it, without leaving anyone behind,” said Profili.
