Over two days, ministers, advocates and people with lived experience from all parts of the world shared the stage at thed 6th Global Mental Health Ministerial Summit. The delegation from the Global Mental Health Action Network (GMHAN) and United for Global Mental Health emphasised the need for deinstitutionalising mental health care, integrating stigma-reduction initiatives in national mental health programmes, and championing youth mental health. 

In September 2025, the High-Level Meeting (HLM) on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and Mental Health was convened by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) to help governments reach agreements and make commitments on global issues. Over the last 20 years, several health issues had been prioritised on the global agenda through HLMs at the UNGA, and there have been 3 HLMs focused on NCDs in the past. But this was a rare opportunity for mental health to be at the core of such a meeting.

The stigma we are fighting in our local communities goes right up to the top of the ladder. It is critical for those in power to see world leaders, who set the standard, commit to mental health and publicly advocate for countries to take steps to include mental health and suicide prevention programming in their social development initiatives. We must equip those who are shaping public health with the rationale and the defense for new policies, new structures, all built with Persons with Lived Experience and patients at the center.

Coming from a region marked by decades of instability and turmoil, I have seen how every type of crisis, whether war, economic collapse, or displacement, leaves one constant consequence: poor mental health. If global leaders make strong commitments on mental health at the UN HLM, it could directly benefit Lebanon by helping secure more sustainable resources, encouraging the allocation of a fair share of the national budget to mental health, and elevating mental health as a legislative and policy priority.

My personal journey with mental health began at a very young age. Growing up, I witnessed the stigma, discrimination, and systemic barriers that affected millions of people with lived mental health experiences in my home country, Peru, including my brother, who lives with schizophrenia. The UN HLM on NCDs and Mental Health provides a critical opportunity to promote global action. It’s a chance to ensure that mental health is recognized as an essential component of health and sustainable development.

COVID-19 has exacerbated mental health needs worldwide at an unprecedented scale, yet global mental health continues to attract limited political attention.