The European Commission announced on Wednesday that it will allocate 1,23 billion euros for mental health initiatives in the European Union and make mental health a pillar of health policy, Reuters reported.

"Today marks a new start for a comprehensive, prevention-oriented and multi-stakeholder approach to mental health at EU level," said Stella Kyriakidou, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety.

"We need to remove stigma and discrimination so that those who need help can get the support they need. "Illness is not a vice and it is our duty to ensure that anyone who needs help can access it," she added.

According to the European Commission, mental health problems affected around 84 million people even before the pandemic. Roughly calculated, the total cost of mental health problems – which includes the costs of health systems and social security programs, as well as reduced employment and reduced productivity of workers – amounts to more than 4 percent of GDP in all EU member states, which is equal to more than 600 billion euros per year, according to the message of the European Commission, Bulgarian "Dnevnik" reported.