Pakistan vows to strengthen mental health systems as global summit ends

Pakistan vows to strengthen mental health systems as global summit ends

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan global mental health summit on Friday concluded with a commitment to strengthen mental health systems through coordinated action, sustainable financing and community-based approaches. The summit adopted a declaration which stated that mental health is a shared global responsibility and Pakistan stands ready to lead through action and partnership, translating its National Mental Health Policy Framework into measurable results and advancing global collaboration through global alliance. It pledged to move from fragmentation to coordination, from pilots to scale, from institutions to communities, from exclusion to participation, from short-term projects to sustainable financing, and from policy promises to accountable action. Provinces urged to provide written endorsement to facilitate implementation of new national policy The two-day summit in conjunction with World Mental Health Day brought together national and international experts, policymakers, development partners, UN agencies, academia, civil society and other stakeholders to deliberate on emerging mental health challenges and opportunities for collaboration. Addressing the concluding session, Minister of State for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Dr Malik Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath called for coordinated and sustained action to make quality mental health services accessible to people across Pakistan. He announced that a National Hub of Excellence would be established in collaboration with provincial partners to serve as a technical platform for translating evidence into policy, strengthening capacity and supporting the mental health workforce. The minister said during the summit, national and international stakeholders listened to evidence, partners and young people, reaffirming the vision of a Pakistan where every child, young person and adult can access mental health care close to home and where mental health services are integrated into primary healthcare and educational institutions in every province and federating area. Dr Bharath noted that around 32 million people in Pakistan required mental healthcare, while the treatment gap remained approximately 95pc. He said behind these figures were millions of people whose lives were affected by mental health conditions and that was the gap the summit aimed to close. He said mental health conditions remained a major cause of compromised health among women and a significant cause among men, while suicide continued to be a serious public health concern. He said mental illness was treatable and recovery was possible with timely and accessible care. He said the summit had marked important milestones, including the launch of the National Mental Health Policy, national programmes for child and adolescent mental health through schools and adoption of the Islamabad Declaration for Global Mental Health. Calling for provincial ownership, the minister requested all provinces and federating areas to provide their written endorsement within 45 days to facilitate implementation of the policy and commitments on the ground. The minister stated that within the next 12 months, a sustainable and time-bound implementation and monitoring plan would be developed in consultation with the provinces. He outlined three key priorities: expanding mental health services through primary and community-based care across provinces and regions; strengthening the mental health workforce, including school psychologists, and ensuring that mental health is reflected in laws, budgets, benefit packages and health data systems. The minister thanked WHO, Unicef, the Global Institute of Human Development at Shifa Tameer-i-Millat University, provincial governments, development partners, young people and people with lived experience for their contributions to the summit. Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2026