Dr Lucrecia Eugenia Peinado Villanueva on addressing mental health issues in the war times

Dr Lucrecia Eugenia Peinado Villanueva, First Lady of the Republic of Guatemala, participated in the ‘Child Safety in the Family’ session at the Fourth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen. The Summit, which took place on 12 September in Kyiv, focused on the theme ‘Protecting Childhood: Ensuring a Safe Future’.

‘There are several different needs in conflict zones among children and adolescents. So I would say that the very first one is, uh, emotional and mental health,’ – noted Dr Villanueva.

The First Lady believes that mental health support must be provided creatively, as some regions, such as temporarily occupied territories, are inaccessible. Yet, support must reach these areas as quickly as possible.

People now have more experience in the practical aspect of delivering emergency surgical care in war zones. At the same time, the prevention and support of emotional and psychological well-being is often seen as less significant, although Lucrecia Eugenia Peinado Villanueva says this is wrong.

The Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen is an international annual event initiated by Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska in 2021. It is the meeting that brings together First Ladies and Gentlemen to address global challenges.