LEADS Nepal

yet. Although the government has adopted a national mental health policy in 1997 and subsequently agreed to include mental health as an element in primary health care, mental health continues to have a low priority on the national health agenda. LEADS works with an aim to end the suffering of mentally ill people. Using the Model for Mental Health and Development, developed by BasicNeeds, we help mentally ill people start to earn a living after they have been given access to regular, community-based treatment. We also work with communities to overcome stigma and abuse. At the heart of our work is consultation with mentally ill people and the drive to work with them to help them solve their problems. Currently its mental health and development programme is implemented in Baglung and Myagdi districts of Nepal where villages in both districts are remote, almost entirely inaccessible by road, and distances are still measured in number of days to walk. By enabling people with mental illness or epilepsy to live and work successfully in their communities, we are working to give hope to the thousands of people who struggle daily with a lack of treatment and the stigma surrounding their disease. Our work is based on the philosophy of building inclusive communities, where mentally ill people – through development – realise their own rights.