The mental health of children and youth remains an “absolute priority” for the health ministry, Health Minister Damianos said during the inauguration of the new building of the Cyprus ADHD association in Nicosia on Friday.

“We recognise that early diagnosis, proper intervention and systematic support can radically change the course of a child,” Damianos added.

He emphasised that children and teenagers with ADHD were equally capable and simply had a different way of learning, thinking and perceiving the world, stressing that society needed to encourage them to embrace their potential and accept them as they are.

“ADHD should not be a source of stigma or lead to exclusion,” he said.

He said that the government aimed to strengthen mental health services throughout the country, to establish an accessible and effective care network adapted to the needs of both patients and their families.

Damianos said the inauguration of the new building marked a societal milestone “to support our most vulnerable fellow citizens and offer them prospects and opportunities”, in a safe and accepting space, offering a wide range of therapeutic, educational and social services.

“It will not be just a building. It will be a living organism that will be nourished daily by the knowledge of experts, the love of parents and the inexhaustible energy of children,” he said.