South Asian region

This chapter will mainly focus on mental health in India,Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Within the scope of this chapter on mental health in South Asia the important limitation of averages must be recognized at the outset. For example, India, the largest and most populous country in the region, is characterized by huge diversity within and between its over 30 states and union territories. Thus, the variation in infant mortality rates in India ranges from a low of 16.3 in Kerala to a high of 86.7 in Uttar Pradesh, a fivefold difference (International Institute for Population Sciences, 2001). Nepal, on the other hand, has a population of more than 25 million with a growth rate of 2.3 per cent and an infant mortality rate of 71 per 1000 live births. Its per capita income is among the lowest in the world. The literacy rates for men and women are 63 per cent and 28 per cent, respectively. Almost 90 per cent of the total population live in rural areas of Nepal. The average life expectancy is 60 years (World Health Organization, 2003; Care Nepal, 2005). The country has been badly affected by an armed conflict between Maoist insurgents and state forces for the last ten years (Informal Service Centre, 2005). The latest political developments have pushed an already unstable nation into further crisis.