Officials of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) revealed that they and the Ashraya Hastha Trust have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with several stakeholders to conduct a comprehensive rural mental health programme called NAMAN in two separate taluks in India.

Currently, the programme is being implemented in Munsiyari taluk of Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district and Belur taluk of Karnataka's Hassan district to meet the mental health requirements of the whole population of the two taluks, states a report by PTI.

This will also allow them to examine the viability of implementing such a system across the country, they claim.

According to officials, the scheme will take a lifelong approach, covering the entire population from cradle to grave.

The national launch of the Comprehensive Mental-Health-Action Program for Rural Communities will be held on December 18, says NIMHANS.

The proposed NAMAN programme is slated to be completed within three years.

"NIMHANS will develop the roadmap for the overall implementation of the programme, and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rishikesh, will collaborate with NIMHANS as a sub-hub for successful implementation of the programme in Uttarakhand. Both NIMHANS, Bengaluru, and AIIMS, Rishikesh, will collaborate with the health departments of the governments of Karnataka and Uttarakhand. The Ashraya Hasta Trust has provided financial assistance for the smooth operation of the programme," it said in a statement.

"The vision of NAMAN is to implement a comprehensive taluka-level mental health program which incorporates mental health promotion, preventive strategies, treatment of mental disorders, and rehabilitation," it added.