SUVA, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Fiji launched World Mental Health Day celebrations on Thursday as part of efforts to raise public awareness on mental illness.
The South Pacific island nation's Ministry of Health has began training its staff through a World Health Organization (WHO) Program called Mental Health Gap - gap between the number of people with mental illness and number of staff available to help them.
Mecuisela Tuicakau, the ministry's deputy secretary for hospital services, said 12 workshops have been conducted all over the country along with training for over 200 staff.
"Awareness programs towards 2015 include community groups and workplaces selected as Mental Health Champions, promoting mental health through art project, training and awareness programs for nurses and doctors and much more." Tuicakau said.
"Fiji is a world leader in establishing the National Wellness Center. The Ministry of Health has placed its mental health unit in the Wellness Center. This allows us to have mental health incorporated as an essential part of wellness. Too much of our resources are directed towards managing the less than 5 percent of the population that have a serious mental illness," said Tuicakau.
The health ministry plans to assist people through specialist community mental health teams established in hospitals in each of the country's four divisions.
Through mental health clinics, wellness clinics and home visits, more cases can be managed, Tuicakau said.
According to the WHO, World Mental Health Day is observed on Oct. 10 every year, with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health.
The theme for World Mental Health Day 2014 is "Living with schizophrenia". The focus of the WHO will be living a healthy life with schizophrenia.
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