First Lady Fazna Ahmed has discussed addressing mental health issues in the Maldives with the World Health Organisation (WHO). She held the discussions in a meeting with WHO Representative to the Maldives Dr. Nazneen Anwar.
During the meeting held at the Official Residence of the President, First Lady Fazna and Dr. Anwar discussed issues of mutual interest and spoke on future collaborations. The first lady extended her gratitude to the WHO for the opportunity to participate in the high-level virtual panel discussion called We the people and our planet: healthy, resilient, sustainable, held by the WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia to commemorate World Health Day. Speaking about the prevalence of substance abuse and mental health issues within the community, she spoke about the importance of addressing these issues early on by incorporating them into the school curriculum, establishing critical support systems, and creating public awareness.
Also at the meeting, Dr. Anwar spoke about the lingering mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the emotional and psychological impacts of the pandemic. She highlighted the inter-linkages between mental health and drug abuse and expressed her interest in working alongside the first lady in addressing these issues. She also commended the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Maldives, stating that the administration did an excellent job of regularly communicating with the public as the pandemic unfolded.