Embedding multisectoral action into the development of the mental health strategy in Colombia - WHO Compendium Report on Multisectoral Action

In 2020, the Colombian Department for National Planning released the Strategy for the Promotion of Mental Health in Colombia. A main goal of the strategy is to promote multisectoral collaboration in implementation of actions to address mental health and substance use. The strategy proposes actions to improve cooperation among national and local entities by aligning the agendas of government agencies and coordinating their joint actions. The Ministry of Health and Social Protection spearheaded the design and implementation of the strategy and all sectors report on progress in the actions to which they are committed to the Department for National Planning. The Consejo Nacional de Política Económica y Social (CONPES) 3992 (National Council for Economic and Social Policy 3992) involved private and public sectors, as well as academia, in validation of the outcome indicators of the strategy. The Ministry of National Education engaged with families, schools and communities to implement mental health strategies at the local level. The use of databases across agencies helped inform decision-making on mental health policy. Additionally, the Emotions Vital Connection programme, a collaboration between the Ministries of Health, Justice and Education, identified schools with risk factors for mental health and violence and engaged with civil society organizations to implement the intervention. Multisectoral actions can be difficult to implement if sectors lack ownership of the project. This challenge could be overcome by promoting leadership at all levels and encouraging a culture that supports collaboration and change. A key lesson is the need to include the perspectives of communities in the development and implementation of multisectoral actions for mental health.

This country story is a brief excerpt taken from the detailed country case study in the WHO Compendium report on multisectoral actions for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions. Read the full report or access the country story via below link.