Who we are
United for Global Mental Health is committed to improving mental health for all, so that every person, everywhere, has somewhere to turn when they need support.
How we work
Our goal is to build a world that enables good mental health for all. But for people to get the support they need, decision makers from all organisations, employers and communities need greater education around the impact of poor mental health – and convincing of how best to address it.
Guided by four areas of strategic impact (rights, education, systems and finance) our team makes the case for increased financing, influences decision-makers to deliver rights-based mental health policies, designs and supports global and national advocacy campaigns, and advises on high-level engagement, strategy and programme design.
We work with partners who share our vision for a better world, taking vital steps to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and increase avenues of support for mental health around the world
By combining our extensive in-house expertise in advocacy, financing and campaigning with the unique insights of our many partners, we’re already making progress on our mission.
Our Team
The team that makes up United for Global Mental Health is diverse, passionate, and truly representative of our global efforts. Our experts draw on the diversity of their backgrounds and experiences to enact real change in every corner of the world in partnership with a wide range of organisations.
Do you want to connect with any members of our team? Get in touch.
Sarah Kline
CEO and Co-Founder
An internationally recognised expert in mental health advocacy, previously at the World Health Organisation, World Bank, the UK government and Oxfam.
Aviwe Funani
Senior Officer
Aviwe is passionate about mental health inclusion and youth led mental health innovations by using her role strategically help bring positive change.
Caroline Kuria
Communications Officer
Experienced in digital strategy, outreach, and advocacy. Formerly with MADE51 & 1000 Landscapes for 1 Billion people.
Divya Sharma
GMHAN Officer
Divya is an experienced network convenor with a background in global mental health advocacy and an MA in International Security.
Alessandro Massazza
Policy & Advocacy advisor
Alessandro leads the area of work on climate change, the environment, & mental health. He has a background in academia, research funding, and the UN.
Erin K. Ferenchick
Senior Consultant
Erin K. Ferenchick, MD is a medical anthropologist, family physician and global health advisor with a passion for mental health.
Faith Nassozi Kyateka
Communications Advisor, Policy, Advocacy & Financing
Experienced in strategic health communications and advocacy. She previously worked with Marie Stopes International (MSI) and Johns Hopkins University.
James Sale
Deputy CEO
Health, mental health, and governance advocate, having previously worked with WHO, Transparency International, and Save the Children.
Muhammad Ali Hasnain
Policy & Advocacy Advisor
Barrister with a background in national and regional mental health advocacy.
Sally Houghton
Director of Fundraising
Philanthropy and relationship fundraising specialist, with experience of raising money for international charities.
Laura Grigg
Finance & Operations Officer
Operations Professional with experience in the Charity Sector and the National Health Service. Laura has a BA in Sociology.
Shekhar Saxena
Senior Advisor
Shekhar Saxena is a psychiatrist and currently professor for the practice of global mental health at Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health.
Yves Miel Zuniga
Policy & Advocacy Advisor
Yves is the co-founder of MentalHealthPH and former senior program officer in the Department of Health, Philippines.
Antonis Kousoulis
Director of Partnerships, GMHAN Secretariat lead
A public health specialist with over 10 years’ senior executive experience across the not-for-profit sector, government and academia.
Hamdi Issa
Senior Officer – Health systems
Background in public health and academia. Experienced in designing and delivering PHC and community programmes. Previously at Somaliland MOH.
Aastha Sethi
Senior Officer, Rights and Advocacy
Policy and advocacy professional with over five years of experience working in suicide prevention, policy change, and mental health advocacy.Our Governance
United for Global Mental Health is overseen by two groups of trustees who bring a range of expertise from around the world including: mental health policy and practice; global and national advocacy; the perspectives of people with lived experience; and the realities of those working in high, middle and/or low income countries.
Our Board oversees our wider mission and ensures we are making progress against our goals. The American Friends of United for Global Mental Health is our American Board. This group oversees our US-based activities, funding, and engagement.
United for Global Mental Health is a registered charity and a registered company in the United Kingdom, and a 501(c)(3) organisation in the United States of America.
United for Global Mental Health Board
Alan Court
Senior Advisor to the WHO Ambassador for Global Strategy and Health Financing
Babita Sharma
Broadcaster, journalist and award-winning author
Enoch Li
Founder and Managing Director of Bearapy
Professor Sir Graham Thornicroft
Psychiatrist, professor and global mental health practitioner
Neelesh Heredia
Financial Services leader, Charities trustee and advisor
Peter Yaro
Executive Director at BasicNeeds-GHANA
Samantha Brown
Global Co-Managing Partner Employment, Pensions & Incentives (UK, US & EMEA) at Herbert Smith Freehills Law FirmAmerican Friends of United for Global Mental Health
Dana Hovig
Consultant; Former Director at Gates Foundation and Hewlett Foundation; Former CEO of Marie Stopes International
Zak Williams
Co-Founder & CEO of PYM
Dr. Sohail Agha
Behavioral scientist with expertise in social norms, behavior change, and gender equality initiatives in LMICs
Our Origins
Elisha London founded United for Global Mental Health in 2017 after learning that the level of global and national investment in mental health significantly underserved the demand for support.
With a mental health crisis brewing and a lack of united global leadership driving the mental health agenda forward the first organisation to campaign for better mental health policies and increased financing at a global level was born.
Together with co-founders, Sarah Kline and Zander Woollcombe, Elisha created a network of experts, mental health campaigners, people with lived experience, trusts and foundations and the business community to better understand where support was needed, what was happening around the world, and how mental ill health could be prevented.