WHA78 - A Milestone for Global Mental Health Advocacy
The Global Mental Health Action Network’s (GMHAN) presence at the World Health Assembly (WHA78) was about more than just hosting and participating in events, it was our strategy in practice. Our activities and engagements are an example of the change we hope to see in the mental health and broader health sectors, with community voices and experts by experience meaningfully included in shaping global policy.
For years, United for Global Mental Health (UnitedGMH) - Secretariat of GMHAN - and key stakeholders across the sector have worked tirelessly for meaningful recognition and the prioritisation of mental health at the highest levels. WHA78 marked a turning point. It was the first time GMHAN was actively participating in this important global moment, and what we witnessed has left us feeling energised, with a renewed sense of hope and drive.
Mental health was everywhere, and that was no accident. Staying true to our commitment to decentralise power and facilitate local-to-global influence and global-to-local action, we arrived in Geneva with 17 GMHAN members, representing 12 countries, who embody the diverse voices, lived experience and rich expertise of our global mental health community. Although our journeys and perspectives are unique, we were united in our mission to place mental health at the heart of the conversation.
Our week began with an advocacy workshop, where we revisited our long-term vision and strategy while aligning our expectations and priorities for the week ahead. With the Zero Draft of the Political Declaration on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and Mental Health being published just days prior, we explored the key messages and advocacy opportunities to continue our ongoing work to secure bold political commitments on mental health at the upcoming UN High-Level Meeting in September.
We were honoured to be joined by colleagues from the World Health Organization, including Devora Kestel, Director of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Use. Together, we established strategies for effectively engaging Member States and navigating the ever-evolving global and regional landscapes that shape our work. Partners from the McKinsey Health Institute and the American Psychological Association shared valuable insights, data, and research on impactful advocacy. These contributions were grounded in powerful stories of locally driven advocacy successes and discussions around key challenges and barriers to progress shared by our members. Equipped with new tools, resources and intel from the sector, we were ready to take on the week.
Breakfast briefings were followed by brisk walks across rainy Geneva to participate in panel discussions, deliver interventions, meet with permanent UN mission delegates, monitor live statements during Committee sessions at the UN Palais and host networking receptions. In total, we made 16 speaking contributions and attended 44 sessions, 7 of which were co-organised and co-sponsored by GMHAN and UnitedGMH.
We placed the people closest to the problem at the core of our discussions, highlighting grassroots voices and sharing the realities of youth and community health workers, which are often missing in these forums. Attendees poured out of these rooms, lining the corridors so they could listen, learn and participate in these vital conversations. While mental health has struggled to find its place on the agenda in the past, this year we struggled to keep up with the schedule!
Over 5 days, we collectively engaged 26 governments calling for the protection of the mental health language used in the Zero Draft and strengthening of commitments around our 4 key priorities: Child and Youth Mental Health, Suicide Prevention and Decriminalisation, Social and Commercial Determinants of Health and Mental Health Deinstitutionalisation.
As we made our way to side events taking place across town, member states were convening at the UN Palais to deliver statements on a diverse range of topics in WHO’s Programme of Work. Of the 75 items and sub-items discussed, two agenda items focused specifically on mental health: agenda item 13.1, on the Political Declaration of the Third High-Level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases, and agenda item 13.2, on Mental Health and Social Connection.
The European Union, the South East Asian region, the Eastern Mediterranean region, and the African region, which together represent a total of 106 member states, issued joint statements emphasising the impact of mental health issues and NCDs on health systems. They also proposed possible solutions to address the growing treatment gaps and needs across these regions. Member states also put a spotlight on mental health when addressing agenda item 13.3 on Universal Health Coverage and 13.7 on Health and Care Workforce, calling for integrated solutions and the protection of the mental health and wellbeing of the health workforce.
Key priorities outlined in member state interventions:
Promoting community-based solutions
Addressing child, youth and adolescent mental health
Acknowledging social and commercial determinants of health
Integrating mental health into primary and universal health care
Fostering multistakeholder and multisectoral approaches
The interest in mental health was unprecedented, and the presence of our community in Geneva was simply unavoidable. By the end of the week, we were hearing the same words echoed in every room we entered, "Oh, it's you again!” - and we wouldn't have it any other way!
There is so much to celebrate, and we’re now looking ahead to the UN High-Level Meeting in September, with a renewed sense of purpose. Driven by our long-term comprehensive strategy and ambitions for a decentralised global mental health sector, we will continue amplifying the voices of people with lived experience, supporting inclusive, community-led advocacy, and dismantling the systems and structures that have kept mental health and the voices of our community on the margins.
Learn more about our work on the UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health here.
