CAIRO — During the month of October, hospitals across Egypt affiliated with the General Secretariat of Mental Health, under the Ministry of Health and Population, are participating in Al-Saraya al-Safra, a campaign to raise awareness about mental health services and to counter the stigma surrounding mental illness. The Arabic “al-saraya al-safra” means “yellow palace,” which is a colloquial Egyptian term for a mental institute. The secretariat oversees and controls all services related to mental health in the country.
Khaled Mogahed, spokesman for the Ministry of Health and Population, announced the campaign in a Sept. 24 statement, saying, “Eighteen mental health hospitals will carry out the campaign, which coincides with World Mental Health Day, which falls on Oct. 10 every year.”