Claim: Post-war Liberians are demanding better mental health care.
Verdict: SUPPORTS

Retrieved passages:
title: Health in Liberia
text: However, in April 2016 it was reported that there was a fatality that tested positively to the Ebola virus and by 4 April, 84 people were under observation after two confirmed cases in their region (Monrovia). A considerable amount of the population suffers from mental illnesses or were mentally or physically traumatized, due to 14 years of intense civil conflict. A study by the American Medical Association (AMA) in 2008 had showed that a staggering 40% of adults had shown symptoms of major depressive disorders. 44% of adults also had symptoms of PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder. There was only

title: Health in Liberia
text: one psychiatrist in the country at the time. It is impossible for 1 psychiatrist to be able to tend to over 1 million victims. In addition, E. S. Grant Mental Health Hospital was the only hospital for patients with mental illness. The hospital only had 80 beds, which left almost all those with traumatization unattended for. HIV/AIDS is one of the biggest diseases that has affected and is affecting Liberia to date. At any given time 33,000 people are living with HIV in Liberia of whom nearly 60% are female. Due to Liberia's incapability to treat this disease only about

title: Mental health in Southeast Africa
text: resources . In Southeast Africa many people have developed post-traumatic stress disorder relating to genocide, civil war, tribal clashes, and refugee situations. Particularly in Rwanda and Uganda, post-traumatic stress disorder affects a significant number of the population, due to recent conflict, genocide, and crimes against humanity. Mental health in Southeast Africa Mental health in Southeast Africa is a concern, where mental illness is prevalent. Mental health issues in Africa are often viewed as the "silent crisis" since they are often given lower priority in a region of Africa where international aid is focused on communicable diseases and malnutrition. Each country

title: Mental health in Southeast Africa
text: June 23, 2011 to the Kenyan National Commission of Human Rights, stating, "Currently there is a very big gap existing between the mental health needs of Kenyans and the existing mental health services at all levels of the health care services delivery system." Although there is a lack of attention to mental health in the healthcare systems, it is a major issue in Southeast African countries. Efforts have been made in some countries to allocate funding to mental health initiatives. Uganda's policies are a prime example of a successful effort to improve mental health in Southeast Africa. In 2006–2007, after

title: Gender inequality in Liberia
text: is forced into the relationship because of wartime conditions in order to feed herself or her family, to have shelter and clothing, or for protection and safety. After the Second Liberian Civil War, the International Rescue Committee reported that it had assisted almost 1,000 women and girls who had suffered gender-based violence in Montserrado County. 63% of the assaults were rapes. The IRC also surveyed Liberian women and girls between the ages of 15 and 49 in refugee camps in Sierra Leone. 74% of those surveyed reported having been subject to sexual violence. The majority of incidents were improper sexual

title: Mental health care in the Philippines
text: than 50,000 military Amerasian children from Central Luzon for interventions given the traits of depression, elevated anxiety, joblessness, social isolation, substance and alcohol abuse, and housing insecurity. A study was conducted to conduct a model of mental health care that integrates mental health into primary care for displaced civilians in Mindanao. The forty-six year episodes of violence between the government and anti-government groups to civilian displacement in that community. The results showed that simple mental health approaches such as psychological first aid and brief psychotherapy can be integrated into primary health care. Brief psychotherapy sessions provided at primary level to

title: Health in Liberia
text: Health in Liberia Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world. Civil wars have killed around 250,000 people and displaced many more. The wars ended in 2003 but destroyed most of the country's healthcare facilities. Recovery proceeds but the majority of the population still live below the international poverty line. Life expectancy in Liberia is much lower than the world average. Communicable diseases are widespread, including tuberculosis, diarrhea, malaria, HIV, and Dengue. Female genital mutilation is widely practiced. Nearly a quarter of children under the age of five are malnourished and few people have access to adequate sanitation

title: Mental health in Southeast Africa
text: health policies in place, were created prior to 1990, and are in dire need of updating. Uganda had achieved great success with their new mental health policies and is working in close cooperation with the WHO to finalize their health-care policy. The WHO is working to move other countries' mental health policies forward. The Southeast African Great Lakes region has a long-standing tribal history of traditional medicine and practices. Although some slight progress has been made with the availability of mental health resources in these areas, still many people in rural Southeast Africa utilize traditional methods to treat mental illness.

title: Health in Liberia
text: when it was first submitted to lawmakers in September 2015. Opposition from several politicians in April led to the FGM provision being removed from the bill. Health in Liberia Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world. Civil wars have killed around 250,000 people and displaced many more. The wars ended in 2003 but destroyed most of the country's healthcare facilities. Recovery proceeds but the majority of the population still live below the international poverty line. Life expectancy in Liberia is much lower than the world average. Communicable diseases are widespread, including tuberculosis, diarrhea, malaria, HIV, and Dengue.

title: Health in Liberia
text: 1989 all the way until 2003. The strengthening of the health sector faced financial problems. The government used only 16.8% of the total health expenditure in the country. Liberia has heavily relied on the international community for health infrastructure and aid. International relief organizations assisted the government to rebuild health facilities and provide essential health care for its citizens. The World Health Organization (WHO) donated equipment and helped provide and assist in vaccinating the population to prevent the spreading of many communicable disease. The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) funded 160 million US dollars to improve the health

title: Health in Liberia
text: priority of the country. Providing nutrition services is a major priority for the government, and it forms an important part of the National Health Policy. In 2008, the health ministry developed a nutrition policy, which became a good start from the service’s promise. With this new policy, the health ministry aims to reduce the 39% chronic malnutrition rate by one-third by 2011, and fix one of the greatest issues of Liberia. After the thirteen year long civil war, populations in the slums of Liberia skyrocketed. At this point around 60% of the population, or 2.5 million people, do not meet

title: Mental health in Southeast Africa
text: According to Vikram Patel, a global mental health expert and professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the stigmatization of mental illness is due to traditional and cultural methods of dealing with these situations and can only be changed through improved support, education, and greater awareness. In traditional Southeast Africa, when there is a situation in which there is a mental health concern, the patient is usually treated without their consent. For an example, if the patient is violent or destructive, he is sedated by the traditional healer or by family members in order to commence therapy,

title: Healthcare in Belize
text: that both the public and private health sector must adhere to in order to maintain and improve health outcomes. During this time, there was also further expansion of primary care services and an increasing emphasis on mental health. For example, the MoH launched a strategic mental health plan in 2009 aimed at integrating mental health services into primary care. Specifically, the mental health plan aims to achieve greater mental health through increased delivery of community-based care and targeted efforts to improve prevention and management of mental disorders as well as improved psychosocial rehabilitation. Current health initiatives include the widespread implementation

title: Leymah Gbowee
text: since the civil war started, and in 1991, Lutheran pastors, lay leaders, teachers and health workers joined with the Christian Health Association of Liberia to try to repair the psychic and social damage left by the war. She studied and worked her way toward her associate of art degree, conferred in 2001, while applying her training in trauma healing and reconciliation to try to rehabilitate some of the ex-child soldiers of Charles Taylor's army. Surrounded by the images of war, she realized that "if any changes were to be made in society it had to be by the mothers". Gbowee

title: Health in Sierra Leone
text: HIV/AIDS in the population of 1.6 percent. In 2014 there was an outbreak of the Ebola virus in Sierra Leone. As of 4 August 2014, there had been 691 cases of Ebola in Sierra Leone, and 286 deaths. Mental health care in Sierra Leone is almost non-existent. Many sufferers try to cure themselves with the help of traditional healers. During the Civil War (1991–2002), many soldiers took part in atrocities and many children were forced to fight. This left them traumatised, with an estimated 400,000 people (by 2009) being mentally ill . Thousands of former child soldiers have fallen into

title: Mental health in Southeast Africa
text: undertaking an initial situational analysis of Uganda's mental health system, a new mental health policy was created. The vision for the project in Uganda is to eliminate, mental health issues, neurological disorders, and substance use from the population. From this vision, guiding principles were implemented, key priority areas were identified, policy objectives were selected, and the Uganda Ministry of Health began to make mental health a priority. The World Health Organization (WHO) continues to work with the developing nations of Africa to implement strategies to improve mental health situations and treatment in these countries. The few countries that have mental

title: Mental health care in the Philippines
text: the Philippines are collected and transmitted from mental health facilities to the government. Among the focus of mental health care professionals from both national and international agencies at present include the integration of provisions for mental health care of displaced civilian population due to calamities and wars. Disasters and tragedies tax the human mind and spirit and can cause severe mental and emotional breakdowns. Losing loved ones and sources of livelihood, such as farmlands and businesses can have mental and emotional effects on survivors. Volunteers have provided psychological first aid, beginning with early intervention which is implemented in the immediate

title: Mental health
text: become imperative worldwide. Unfortunately, most countries have insufficient data to guide decisions, absent or competing visions for resources, and near constant pressures to cut insurance and entitlements. WMH surveys were done in Africa (Nigeria, South Africa), the Americas (Colombia, Mexico, United States), Asia and the Pacific (Japan, New Zealand, Beijing and Shanghai in the People's Republic of China), Europe (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Ukraine), and the middle east (Israel, Lebanon). Countries were classified with World Bank criteria as low-income (Nigeria), lower middle-income (China, Colombia, South Africa, Ukraine), higher middle-income (Lebanon, Mexico), and high-income. The coordinated surveys on emotional

title: Refugee health
text: taboo topic amongst certain cultures. This prevents people from seeking psychiatric help. Currently, there is only one functioning mental health hospital in Syria that tends to psychiatric needs. In 2016, a Syrian-American doctor named M.K. Hamza coined a new term to more accurately describe the effects felt by nearly all refugees affected by the ongoing crisis—human devastation syndrome. There is a severe lack of, and a dire need for, mental health attention and care. These traumatic events typically worsen and amplify progressively in the years following. It is critical that mental health issues be addressed in the screening process. Leaving

title: Healthcare in Senegal
text: healthcare budget goes to physical health needs; mental health remains an area of concern. The Senegalese government spends 9% of its total health budget on mental health. Senegal has no national mental health program, but mental health issues are prevalent. In 2005, nearly 17% of children had emotional, behavioral or neuropsychiatric disorders. Additionally, 16% of adults had psychiatric illness. Primary sources of mental health financing include, in descending order, private insurance, social insurance, out of pocket expenditures by patient or family, and taxes. Mental health is part of primary health care system, with the treatment of severe mental disorders available