Research shows that over 44,000 Croatian adolescents have mental health problems, the head of the UNICEF Office in Croatia, Regina Castillo, has warned ahead of UNICEF's sixth humanitarian Milky Way Race.

Many children and young people are struggling with mental health problems in silence, discouraged by misunderstanding. The cost of this silence can be calculated in days, months, years, in lost dreams and lives. The cost of this silence is immeasurably high for those children, their parents and our society, Castillo said.

Over 6,000 people, including 900 children and 300 teachers, will take part in the race that will take place across Croatia from 9 to 18 September.

UNICEF said that the proceeds from the race would go towards training of more than 400 teachers nationwide, which would have a direct impact on over 20,000 primary and secondary school students.