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.