The United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Non-communicable Diseases (19-20 September 2011) raised
the expectation that health had reached, at long last, one of the highest levels of policy decision-making. Non-communicable diseases, in aggregate, represent the highest burden of disease, and strain health systems and countries’ economies.
They include cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorders and diabetes. However the UN session disappointed by omitting mental health from its ambitious agenda. This exclusion was incredible – mental disorders
are among the most prevalent non-communicable diseases, affecting more than 500 million people worldwide, with a
global burden of disease of approximately 14% and a global burden of disability of 30-45%.