Centre for International Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia. h.minas@unimelb.edu.au.
ABSTRACT: A serious health and human rights crisis is unfolding in Indonesia. Media reports in the Jakarta press have highlighted the high death rates in shelters for people with mental illness that are run by the Jakarta Social Affairs Agency. This crisis represents an opportunity to bring about systematic and substantial changes in the Indonesian mental health system. In order to realise this opportunity the necessary elements of an approach are presented and briefly discussed.