The general director of the Recover Foundation, Marta Marañón, closed the 2nd López-Ibor Permanent Mental Health Forum, organised together with the Gregorio Marañón Study Centre at the Ortega-Marañón Foundation, recalling that the mental health is a global challenge which also affects other regions of the world such as Africa.

During his speech, he highlighted alarming data regarding the lack of capacity in sub-Saharan Africa to address mental health problems, as they have only 1.6 mental health professionals per 100,000 inhabitants (compared to 45 in Europe) and very few specialised hospitals and psychiatric units. For example, in Ivory Coast there are 4 mental health hospitals and only 2 psychiatric units in healthcare facilities for 32 million people.

In these countries, where only 60% of young people have access to the internet (which creates a digital divide between rural and urban areas), young people face mental health problems linked primarily to the use of alcohol, cannabis and tramadol – which is available at a very affordable price on the black market – and will soon also face the effects of excessive use of social media and digital devices, which are already a cause for concern in other parts of the world.

From Recover Foundation we strengthen the capacities of local health facilities and professionals, also in the mental health area, aware that in a globalised society, youth mental health challenges will end up affecting those who currently have fewer resources to cope with them.

You can read the full report on the match day in Prensa Social: https://prensasocial.es/ii-foro-de-salud-mental-organizado-por-la-fundacion-lopez-ibor-y-ortega-maranon-las-redes-sociales-generan-poco-conocmiento-y-escasa-sabiduria/