Image: An acid attack survivor (Ann-Christine Woehrl / Edition Lammerhuber)
In the UK we can rely on the NHS to provide medical and mental health support however survivors in poorer countries very often encounter very minimal service provision. Mental health support is very patchy in quality and delivery. This gap in delivery and quality is exacerbated by the stigma associated with mental health problems.
£14,488 was raised through the generous support of Radio 4 listeners and this has enabled Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI) to invest human resources in designing a major new programme to deliver a mental trauma care programme for survivors and their families in Colombia.
We are all very aware of the physical trauma of an acid attack, the excruciating pain, the resulting scarring and in many cases the disabilities that arise from an attack, such as blinding and hearing impairment. Survivors of attacks also suffer serious mental health issues. Sadly, it is very common for survivors to suffer Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, fear and loneliness.
ASTI will collaborate with a leading US medical institution, survivor groups and government institutions in Bogota, Colombia, to design a programme to help survivors and their families overcome the trauma of an acid attack.
The funding received from Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 donors has paid off, it helped invest time and resources to design and secure funding for the first phase of the project. This critical phase requires gaining data and evidence on gaps in current provision of mental health services. From this data the plan is to design a 3-5 year project to provide mental trauma delivery with local in country partners. In the long term we will assess the viability of replicating the project in other locations and regions, such as parts of South Asia, where comprehensive mental trauma support is lacking.
This exciting new initiative has the potential to transform the lives of hundreds of women and children.
You can find out more about the charity .