There are a number of challenges in the area of mental health and psychiatric services in Egypt.
Most resources are allocated to a few large centralized psychiatric hospitals. However, the number of beds available for psychiatric patients is still inadequate for provision of acute inpatient care, particularly as 60% of the beds are occupied by long stay patients.
The number of hours given for training in mental health in medical schools and other health training institutions is limited and does not reflect the importance of this field as a contributor to morbidity.
The WHO country office supports the Ministry of Health and Population in integerating mental health services into primary health care and raising awareness in schools and universities to reduce the stigma of mental health illnesses.
Regional programme for mental health and substance abuse
