Project Atlas

Context

In 2001, following the publication of its World Health Report (World Health Report, WHO 2001), the World Health Organization (WHO) began the "Project Atlas" to collect, compile and disseminate data on some of the most important mental health issues and how they are addressed by all countries of the world. Since then, WHO has published two volumes of the mental health Atlas as well as separate volumes on neurology, child and adolescent mental health, psychiatric training, and substance abuse (published or in preparation).

WHO now feels that a separate Atlas on Country Resources in Intellectual Disabilities (Atlas-ID) is needed to present global data in the area of intellectual disabilities and to act as a catalyst to advocacy and planning efforts. This Atlas represents an incredible opportunity to work with WHO to use the information on resources and services for intellectual disabilities throughout the world to enhance global and national awareness and support for persons with intellectual disabilities.

The Atlas-ID was launched during the Second International Conference on Intellectual Disabilities to be held in Bangkok, Thailand in 2007. The Bangkok conference constitutes a follow up of the Montreal PAHO/WHO Conference on Intellectual Disability of 2004 and involved all six WHO Regions.

Atlas : global resources for persons with intellectual disabilities : 2007.

Objectives

• To map intellectual disabilities health and readaptation resources and services in all member states of WHO;
• To compile and calculate the distribution of intellectual disabilities resources and services by regions and income levels;
• To use the information on resources and services for intellectual disabilities throughout the world to enhance global and national awareness and support.

Responsibilities

The Atlas on Country Resources in Intellectual Disabilities is under the joint responsibility of the Montreal PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centre for research and training in mental health and the WHO Geneva Headquarters (Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse).

A steering committee was responsible for the project's completion. It was composed of:

Dr. Shekhar Saxena

Coordinator of the Mental Health: Evidence and Research unit of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse of the World Health Organisation;

Dr. Céline Mercier

Professor at the University of Montreal and Director of Information technologies and Research at the Lisette-Dupras and the West Montreal Readaptation centres;

Dr. Gaston Harnois

Director of the Montreal PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centre for research and training in mental health;

Dr. Patricia N. Walsh

President of the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disability (IASSID) and Professor of Disability Studies at the University College Dublin in Ireland;

Dr Marco Garrido Cumbrera

Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse of the World Health Organisation;

Mr Jocelin Lecomte

Research and information consultant at the Lisette-Dupras and the West Montreal Readaptation centres will serve as it's coordinator.

Tasks

The Atlas on Country Resources in Intellectual Disabilities questionnaire was assembled following consultations with an international expert task-force in intellectual disabilities. This expert task-force identified areas in intellectual disabilities where there is a need to collect information in order to put together a comprehensive Atlas questionnaire and accompanying Glossary. This questionnaire was filled out by national focal-points that are specialists in the field of intellectual disabilities and emanate from the national Ministry or from active NGO's who focus mainly on intellectual disabilities. Once analyzed, the data from the questionnaire allowed the production of the Atlas. This Atlas constitutes an official WHO publication to be launched in the Fall of 2007.

Contact

Jocelin Lecomte, LL.B. M.A.
Project Atlas-ID coordinator
Montreal PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centre for research and training in mental health
West-Montreal and Lisette-Dupras Readaptation Centres
WHOAtlasID@ssss.gouv.qc.ca

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