At present, many countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region have developed action plans and started implementing activities to address mental health and psychosocial support as part of their national response to the #COVID19 pandemic. We will regularly share experiences from countries in the Region to keep you updated on what is happening on-the-ground to support people’s mental health and wellbeing during this pandemic.

Egypt

In its national response plan for the #COVID19 pandemic, Egypt included a component on the provision of mental health and psychosocial support services. It then established a National Coordination Group to facilitate the coordination between different governmental and nongovernmental sectors involved in the #COVID19 response.

Currently, Egypt is providing distant psychosocial counselling services through two helplines. One of the helplines runs 24/7, and provides brief psychosocial support by trained psychologists and psychiatrists.

Additionally, Egypt established a web-based psychological support service for healthcare personnel in quarantine hospitals. It later expanded this service by appointing psychiatrists in all quarantine hospitals, to provide specialized psychological support to #COVID19 patients, healthcare personnel and people with mental health conditions.

Egypt has also developed guidance on the neuropsychiatric side effects of medications used for #COVID19 treatment.