US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy wraps global tour for World Mental Health Day
Oct 12, 2024
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], October 12 : US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy wrapped up his global tour on World Mental Health Day where he cleared up common mental health misconceptions and discussed practical tips to support mental health.
America's top doctor, Murthy travelled to Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru to commemorate World Mental Health Day, earlier this week.
October 10th marks World Mental Health Day, a global initiative aimed at raising awareness about mental health issues and rallying support for mental health care worldwide.
Vivek Murthy is the first Surgeon General of Indian descent, with his parents hailing from Karnataka. Some of the key priorities of Murthy's trip to India highlighted the global mental health and loneliness crisis.
Praising the Indo-US partnership, he said, "The US and India have a long and distinguished partnership on health, and I've come to India to learn and speak about mental health, an area where our nations have shared needs and shared opportunities for learning. I have met with extraordinary organizations and individuals in India that are worki exng to break down the shame and stigma too often associated with this vital dimension of health. We must work together to help increase access to mental health care services, address the drivers of the mental health crisis, and let people know there is no shame in seeking help. World Mental Health Day is a powerful reminder that we can all learn from each other and work in partnership to tackle these global challenges."
US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti praised Murthy's efforts and said that supporting mental health is a longstanding priority for the US Government.
"Excellent discussion on mental health with U.S. @Surgeon_General Dr. Vivek Murthy and the Mission India family at our town hall yesterday! Supporting mental health is a longstanding priority for the U.S. Government, and we look forward to advancing #USIndia mental health collaboration to foster a healthier, more resilient environment for all," Garcetti posted on X.
During his trip, Dr Murthy met with young people directly at the Mariwala Health Initiative to hear directly from them about the struggles they face, hosted conversations with university students at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Junior School, American School of Bombay, and Indian Institute of Technology to discuss the issues of loneliness, mental health, and social media with students.
"In celebration of World Mental Health Day, I was honored to connect with Ira Khan at @iitbombay=. She is a mental health advocate and founder of the Agatsu Foundation in Mumbai, India. We had an inspiring conversation about her mental health journey," posted the top US doctor.
Dr Murthy also visited the Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research to observe Noora Health's caregiving model in practice which addresses social isolation through a family-centered program that equips caregivers with basic yet vital skills and support they need to better care for their loved ones.
Dr Murthy said, "I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to return to India, the land of my ancestors and the source of so many of the values my parents sought to instill in me during my childhood. They taught me about the importance of relationships, the power of being part of a community and the profound gratification that comes from serving others,"
As the Co-Chair of the World Health Organization's Commission on Social Connection, he travelled to various countries on a mission to learn about the shared experiences on mental health to better address it as a global community.
Murthy issued the Surgeon General's Advisory on Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation, and the Surgeon General's Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health.
"Mental health issues have become a silent pandemic killing hundreds of thousands of individuals who are suffering due to a lack of access to resources. Awareness campaigns such as these serve in the right direction for better access to mental health services across all age groups and socio-economic strata."
