Kathmandu, Dec. 14 -- Many local units in the Kathmandu Valley say they are unaware of a three-month nationwide mental health awareness campaign launched last week by the Ministry of Health and Population. The lapse has exposed weaknesses in federal-local coordination.

Binod Kumar Shah, a public health official at Tarakeshwar Municipality, said neither he nor his colleagues had received any formal communication about the campaign.

"We neither got a letter nor an email from any agency about the nationwide mental health drive," said Shah. "We also don't have a budget to run a three-month campaign. Everyone knows that without money, it is simply not possible."

The Health Ministry had launched the campaign with much fanfare last Wednesday,...