Up Scaling Mental Health and Psychosocial Services in a Disaster Context: Lessons Learnt from the Philippine Region Hardest Hit by Typhoon Haiyan | Chapter 11 | Emerging Research in Medical Sciences Vol. 3
In the aftermath of typhoon Haiyan which struck Philippines in 2013, the World Health Organization Philippines in collaboration with the Philippine government acted to improve access to mental healthcare in affected regions. Eastern Visayas with population 4, 3 million had merely four psychiatrists and seven generalists providing mental health care. It was selected as a model region for integration of mental health care into primary and secondary care. This study was carried out to evaluate the intervention’s success in strengthening mental health services in Eastern Visayas with particular regard to availability, accessibility and affordability of these services. Between June 2014 and March 2015, 1038 community workers were trained in psychosocial care and support and 290 non-specialized healthcare providers received training on assessment and management of mental health conditions including on-the-job supervision. By the end of the March 2015, 155 of 159 or 97.5% of primary health...