Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Brankica Janković, participated in the online conference “Mental Health of Informal Caregivers”, organized by the Red Cross of Serbia and the UN Population Fund in Serbia (UNFPA). Welcoming the participants, she stressed the importance of informal caregivers for the elderly and citizens suffering from various diseases that require care, especially in the context of the pandemic of COVID 19. Commissioner reminded of recommendations that the institution issued during the emergency state earlier this year, that referred to work of caregivers in conditions of limited movement, and noted that one of the first recommendations in that period was related to the regular provision of care and support to the elderly and citizens with disabilities.

Jankovic also announced a Special Report on the Position of Senior Citizens, made in cooperation with the UN Population Fund in Serbia, which will be submitted to the National Assembly immediately after the Regular Annual Report in March 2021.

At the conference were presented the results of research aimed at assessing the impact of the work of informal caregivers on their mental health, primarily during the pandemic, which was conducted by the Red Cross and UNFPA during the summer in 41 municipalities in Serbia. The results show that as many as a quarter of informal caregivers were depressed: 7 percent severely, 8.6 percent moderately, while 11.2 percent of respondents felt mild depression.

Participants in discussion were also Ljubomir Miladinovic, Secretary General of the Red Cross of Serbia, Nevena Sovic on behalf of the UN Population Fund, Natasa Milic, professor at the Medical Faculty in Belgrade, as well as Natasa Todorovic and Milutin Vracevic from the Red Cross of Serbia.