ISLAMABAD, Oct 01 (APP): Pakistan on Thursday launched the National Mental Health Policy 2026-2035, aiming to expand mental health services and support for an estimated 32.4 million people in need of care across the country.
The policy was launched during the two-day Global Mental Health Summit being held in Islamabad from October 1-2, bringing together around 800 participants, including mental health experts, policymakers, academics and representatives of national and international development partners.
The initiative was launched under the leadership of the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Global Institute of Human Development (GIHD)–Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University (STMU).
According to estimates, around 32.4 million people in Pakistan require mental health care, while only about five percent of the population has access to such services, leaving a treatment gap of around 95 percent.
The shortage of qualified mental health professionals is also a major challenge, with Pakistan having approximately 0.19 psychiatrists per 100,000 population compared with an average of seven per 100,000 in high-income countries.
Speaking at the summit, Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal described mental health as an emergency and said it was linked to economy.
He called for the involvement of all government ministries and individuals in creating a safe and healthy environment and stressed that the summit should lead to concrete action.
Minister of State for Health Dr Malik Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath said the policy represented a shared commitment to bringing mental healthcare closer to families.
He said the government would work with provincial authorities to translate the policy into practical measures in schools, primary healthcare facilities and communities.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said investment in mental health could generate economic and health benefits, noting that every dollar invested in addressing conditions such as depression and anxiety could yield four dollars in returns through improved health and productivity.
UNICEF Representative in Pakistan Pernille Ironside emphasized the need to place children and adolescents at the centre of mental health efforts, particularly through prevention, early identification and access to care.
Director of the Global Institute of Human Development Dr Syed Usman Hamdani said Pakistan was undergoing significant transformation in its mental health agenda through investments in research, policy development, implementation science and community-based approaches.
The summit aims to advance evidence-based mental health policies, strengthen community-based services and promote partnerships to develop equitable, climate-resilient and future-ready mental health systems in Pakistan.
Source: APP (Associated Press of Pakistan)
