22 December 2017, Tunis – For the first time in Libya, an assessment of mental health and psychosocial support has been conducted to map the services available for the Libyan people in this field. A report on the assessment process and main findings was launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Libya earlier this month at its venue in Tunis.

Titled “Who is Where, When, doing What (4Ws) in Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Libya,” the report shows that a total of 190 organizations (178 national actors and 12 international actors) deliver diverse mental health and psychosocial support services to a number of different target populations in all the regions of Libya. However, there is a concentration of reported services in the Tripoli area (58% of all activities).

Based on data collection carried out between July and October 2017, the report shows that mental health and psychosocial support services target adolescents, caregivers, children, elders, displaced population, local community, men, migrants/refugees, persons with disabilities, women, and others in different areas of the country.

The report is a mapping exercise carried out by the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Network, in partnership with the World Health Organization Libya and the Delegation of the European Union to Libya, with the financial support of the US Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance.

It aims to enhance coordination, collaboration, referral systems and accountability for all agencies working in the field of mental health and psychosocial support in Libya, and identify gaps in service provision.

The launch ceremony of the report was attended by the international community including representatives from the Delegation of the European Union to Libya, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Mercy Corps, and the United Nations Population Fund. During the ceremony, Marcio Gagliato, mental health and psychosocial support expert at the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Network, gave a presentation on the various different aspects of the report.

During the launch, participants discussed next steps and agreed to conduct a workshop in early 2018 with the Ministry of Health and the National Centre for Disease Control to move forward on mental health and psychosocial support activities in the country. National stakeholders were requested to review the current situation and to strengthen mental health and psychosocial support capacity to ensure better quality services and increased accessibility for service users.

Related links

Report: 4Ws Who is doing what, where, when in mental health and psychosocial support

Infographic: 4Ws