We are moving. Great that you want to come along!

Mental disorders can exacerbate poverty, reduce life expectancy and hinder the development of entire nations. Yet this issue continues to be neglected in international cooperation. The experiences of three very different countries illustrate why this is so and why there is hope nevertheless.

Decent work worldwide is considered a key factor for reducing poverty within international development policy. Cooperation with the private sector is an important plank but there are major challenges – and the pandemic has only added to them.

For years, Moldova has suffered from a rapidly shrinking population and the paradoxical situation that many young people are emigrating to the West because of political instability, a lack of employment opportunities and low wages, while at the same time the country faces a shortage of skilled labour. The health sector is in a particularly precarious predicament.