SYMPOSIUM

Friday, October 18, 2024, Hilton Hotel, Flic en Flac, Mauritius

4 CPDs for Physicians and Pharmacists (register early, places are limited!)

The demographic transitions and lifestyle changes of recent decades have considerably altered the public health landscape, leading to a new ranking of burdens (taking into account morbidity and their economic and societal impact). As a result, cancers, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and mental and cognitive health now occupy the top three places among health burdens in many countries. The states of the Mascarene trapezium are no exception, even if the situation varies from one island to another. All the projections made by the major international health players point to a steady increase in the burden of mental health and neurology.

Worldwide, more than 450 million people suffer from mental disorders, over 50 million from epilepsy (the most common neurological disorder) and 16 million new cases of Cerebrovascular Accidents (CVA) are observed every year, responsible for 5.7 million deaths. In low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), nearly 80% of patients receive no treatment. Several factors may be at the root of this huge treatment deficit: lack of knowledge and understanding of the symptoms among the population, often combined with strong beliefs and prejudices, which also contribute to growing stigmatization. Insufficient human and financial resources also limit access to care. The low numbers of psychiatrists, neurologists, specialist nurses, psychologists and social workers, as well as the lack of training for primary care professionals, are also among the main obstacles to patient care. Prescriptions are complex, and issues of availability and accessibility to basic medicines need to be addressed.

The challenge that healthcare systems must take up to curb the growing incidence of psychiatric and neurological disorders is first and foremost to improve care, but given the avoidable mortality and morbidity in this area, a strong focus on improving the reliability of epidemiological data for primary prevention, early detection, greater accessibility to treatments and targeted therapeutic education would appear to be a priority.

It's time to take a closer look at the situation in Mauritius, and to discuss the current situation and future challenges with specialists working in the Indian Ocean region and international experts.