A/71/304 87. The 2030 Agenda affirms that universal health coverage and access to quality health care are necessary to promote mental health and well-being with a specific target to achieve them. This is a welcome advance but fails to address the grossl y unmet need for rights-based mental health services. 44 Lack of political will to address mental health as an emerging priority has led to an unacceptable situation with two equally detrimental scenarios: mental health services either are not available for many of those who need them or, when they are in place, too often violate the rights of people receiving care. Unfortunately, in many parts of the world, the entire field of mental health remains hostage to outdated discriminatory attitudes reflected in the lack of political will to invest in community-based social medicine and social psychiatry with a modern public health approach grounded in human rights (A/HRC/29/33, paras. 74-84). 88. Mental health care has been addressed primarily as the management of medical conditions with psychotropic medications and institutionalization, too often without the person’s consent. Advancing to the Sustainable Development Goals and universal health coverage is a good opportunity to move to mental health care that is free from outdated policies and practices. Psychosocial and public health interventions that empower people, increase their resilience and address structural factors (such as violence) that contribute to mental ill health are the standard of care, on par with the provision of appropriate and high -quality medications. They must be viewed as part of primary, community-based health care and an integral part of universal health coverage. Health system strengthening 89. Achieving universal health coverage requires sufficient capacity of well trained health workers to meet patients’ needs. The global health workforce is too small and unequally distributed within and among countries, with poorer countries and communities having the fewest workers. Poor working conditions and low pay contribute to a “skills drain” of health professionals undermining the right to health in communities and countries left behind. This disproportionately affects those with limited finances or access to health care (A/60/348, sect. IV). 90. Strengthening health systems, including by investing in training, recruitment and retention of the health workforce (target 3.c), protecting their rights and improving their wages and working conditions, is essential to progress towards universal health coverage (see A/60/348). D. Violence as a public health issue in the Sustainable Development Goals 91. Addressing violence cuts across the Sustainable Development Goals and is critical to the realization of the right to health. The Goals envisage “a world free from fear and violence” and include specific commitments to eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres (target 5.2); to eliminate all harmful practices, including child early and forced marriage and genital mutilation (target 5.3); to significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere (target 16.1); and to end all forms of violence against __________________ 44 16-13597 WHO, Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2020 (Geneva, 2013). 21/26