The World Health Assembly (WHA) is an annual gathering of health ministers from around the world and a key opportunity to harness the influence of our network to champion mental health.

WHO is working closely with our offices in Ukraine and neighbouring countries, as well as partners to rapidly respond to the health emergency triggered by the conflict and to minimise disruptions to the delivery of critical healthcare services.

Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world was not equipped to respond to the mental health needs of populations around the world. Poor mental health costs the world economy US$1 trillion a year

This year’s budget was one of those rare occasions when mental health got the attention of the Indian policy makers at the national level.

Climate Change is the greatest global health threat of the 21st century. The latest report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change cautioned “code red” for human health and has sparked widespread media attention, including concern over the health impacts of climate-induced food insecurity and infectious disease transmission.

If non-communicable diseases (NCDs) were a family, mental health would be the middle child, and I am not saying that because I am one. Mental health gets less than 1% of development aid funds[1] in a pool of funding that is not large to begin with.

o see true and lasting change, key actors and human rights defenders should play an active role in amplifying the voice of survivors and the LGBTQ+ community to advocate for the eradication of these harmful practices.

From ages 10-24, mental health conditions make up nearly half the overall burden of disease; 75% of mental health conditions emerge by age 24. These figures show that supporting the mental health of young people like us is imperative. 

A year ago this week, The Upswing Fund launched in response to an alarming decline in adolescent mental health exacerbated by COVID-19.

Approximately 66 million women on the African continent are experiencing depression, and due to lack of investment, about 85% of these women have no access to effective treatment.

For instance, this year’s results of the mental health screening of refugees passing along the Balkan route (PIN, 2021) show that 85% of refugees are psychologically vulnerable, i.e., are in need of psychological support or mental health care, which reveals a negative trend in the overall psychological vulnerability when compared to previous years.

This year Pakistan’s federal Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives launched a Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) initiative.

With Health forming a big part of the agenda of the forum’s various events, sessions and high level meetings, there were some encouraging inroads for mental health.