Mental and heart diseases are common

• April 24, 2024

In Mexico, according to the National Survey of Psychiatric Epidemiology, 28.6% of the population has presented some type of mental disorder once in their life, 13.9% in the last 12 months and 5.8% in the last 30 days. These include anxiety disorders, derived from substance abuse and affective (love), the Secretary of Health, José Ángel Córdova Villalobos .

When inaugurating the first Franco-Mexican days of cardiology and psychiatry, he added that in the world, every year mental disorders affect 30% of the population and neuropsychiatric disorders occupy 14% of the burden of disease, especially depression, alcoholism , drug abuse and psychosis.

In the world, less than two thirds of affected people receive treatment and often it is inadequate, even in those who have economic resources, that is, this therapeutic vacuum affects 90% of patients.

He pointed out that the World Health Organization (WHO) urged member countries to increase investment and coverage of mental health services, allocating at least 10% of the health budget to this area.

To address this problem in Mexico, said the Secretary of Health, the investment was increased from 0.6% to almost 2% for mental illnesses, in addition to the inclusion of their attention, as well as that of addictions, in the Popular insurance .

Cardiovascular diseases

When referring to cardiovascular diseases, Córdova Villalobos mentioned that they constitute the first cause of illness and death in the western world when causing 17 million deaths . Every four seconds a coronary event occurs and every five seconds a cerebral vascular event.

In Mexico, in 2009 there were 535 thousand 181 deaths in total, of which 78 thousand 604 were due to heart disease, constituting the main cause of death, followed by diabetes.

In fact, since 2000 heart disease is the leading cause of death and from that year to 2009 had a 46% growth, from 53 thousand 842 to 78 thousand 604 deaths.

The Secretary of Health stressed that the prevalence of these conditions requires comprehensive care, in family, community and society, considering social, economic and environmental factors.

In this regard, he explained that in Mexico there are medical units specialized in mental health, addictions and chronic diseases, in which the patient receives comprehensive treatment with different specialists. In addition, the prevention budget was increased from 500 million in 2000 to almost 15 billion in 2010.

Franco-Mexican Days

About the Franco-Mexican Days that will be held from October 18 to 21 in the cities of Mexico and Guadalajara, said that in health Mexico has had great openness by the French Government to strengthen the exchange of professionals, knowledge and scientific experiences .

This task has been strengthened by the Franco-Mexican Foundation for Medicine, organizer of this meeting, and the joint work is carried out in chronic diseases, cardiovascular, mental, overweight, obesity, aging and geriatrics.

In the ceremony were the President of the Franco-Mexican Foundation for the IAP medicine, Armando Barriguete Meléndez ; the Chief of Economic, Regional Services for Mexico and Central America of the French Embassy in Mexico, P. Maccioni, and the General Director of Laboratorios SERVIER México, Stéphane Mascarau . The general directors of the National Institutes of Psychiatry were appointed, María Elena Medina Mora , and Cardiology, Marco Antonio Martínez Ríos , vice-president of the Franco-Mexican Foundation.

Source: Ministry of Health (Mexico)