According to its definition of health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”, the World Health Organisation has identified mental health as one of five key priority areas for health development. Indeed, it is now recognised that mental health problems are a source of specific social and even economic burdens on families, communities and countries. 

Just as birth follows the prenatal period, each new phase of life, whether individual or community, can be considered as a birth to a new life and, just as the intrauterine experience is also a learning experience, each new phase of life has a preliminary preparatory learning phase. If we wish to make real and lasting changes in the lives and well-being of the world’s citizens, we must focus our efforts on stimulating greater awareness of the importance of fundamental concepts, such as dignity and respect and primary prevention, and not just on financial, economic and labour issues, however important they may be.

We know that nature does not fight against itself, that every organism fights against disease and destruction to maintain a healthy state and naturally tends towards homeostasis and away from disorganisation. The same applies to a community or society, but our world can change only if we bring about a profound change in understanding and respect for life from its very beginnings.