During a stop in Riga on my way to Sweden I read the article "Mental healthcare suffers chronic neglect," by Elizabeth Celms in the March 10-16 issue. I was coming from an assignment in Uzbekistan where I had just reviewed Uzbek legislation concerning the rights of persons with a mental illness.
I found the article very interesting, and believe it's important to give this group a voice. I would very much like to contact the NGO and Ms. Leimane Veldemeijere to hear if she has some good advice for the Uzbeks.
I am going back to Uzbekistan within a couple of weeks to present my findings. Any comparison with other countries in this area might give an extra push to Uzbek authorities and help them understand that these problems are not only in Uzbekistan. Perhaps the Uzbeks can learn from others and benefit.
