First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska opened the Mental Health Conference during her visit to Belgrade, Serbia.
"At each Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, we raise a topic that is important for the whole world. And last fall, at the third Summit in Kyiv, mental health was the topic. After all, no matter what countries we live in, our mental state is very interconnected and interdependent. You could say that mental health, like ecology, like clean water or air, has no borders. And I am glad that we are now continuing this topic here in Belgrade," she said.
Olena Zelenska, as well as Head of the Coordination Center for Mental Health of the Cabinet of Ministers Oksana Zbitneva, Director of the Institute of Mental Health of the Ukrainian Catholic University Oleh Romanchuk and mental health experts from Serbia and UNICEF, took part in panel discussions "Mental Health of Children and Adolescents – Investing in Our Future" and "Mental Health in a Post-Conflict Environment."
The President's wife spoke about the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program "How are you?" aimed at overcoming the stress caused by the war. According to the Ministry of Health, 77% of Ukrainians experience it.
"Russia's aggression targets Ukrainians not only with weapons, but also with diseases. And I would like to point out that if it seems that this problem concerns only Ukraine, it only seems so. We found this out last year, during the research for the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen. Residents of 11 countries called anxiety about the war one of the greatest," Olena Zelenska noted.
She recalled the words of the Conference organizer, First Lady of Serbia Tamara Vučić: "Nothing can overcome united people."
"She addressed them to Ukrainians who united against the enemy. I want to address them to you, the participants of today's meeting. If we combine our experience, we will be able to overcome the challenges in the field of mental health with dignity," the wife of the President of Ukraine summarized.