It’s time for a gender responsive Budget that focuses on mental health

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WE are on the road to Budget 2022, and the 12th Malaysia Plan has just been announced. After close to two years battling a pandemic, we are heading to recovery. Will Malaysia finally prioritise mental health?

Rates of mental illness have only soared following the onset of the pandemic, with those reporting suicidal tendencies increasing 30% to 40% from 2020 to 2021. Suicide cases for the first five months of 2021 already comprised over 70% of the annual cases in the past two years, and stands at an average of roughly four suicide cases a day.