Résumé
In July 2011 Nature carried a Comment titled “Grand Challenges to Global Mental Health”announcing research priorities to benefit people with mental illness around the world. The essay called for urgent action and investment. However, many professionals, academics, and service user advocate organisations were concerned about the assumptions embedded in the approaches advocated and the potential for the project to do more harm than good as a result. Nature refused to print a letter (sent on 20th August 2011) protesting against the issue, citing ‘lack of space’ as the reason. This letter is an effort to critique the initiative through wide participation and consensus
Résumé
We have been on the “threshold of transition” in our health status and healthcare system – for the past 64 years. The infant mortality rate has been reduced substantially. However, the declining sex ratio points to the widespread practice of sex selective abortion. There has been no change in the body mass index of children and women, which points towards a looming epidemic of hunger.