What is it?
The Global Mental Health Action Network is an open community of mental health professionals and individuals interested in mental health who share a mission to protect the right to good mental health and improve political and financial support for mental health across the world
What does it do?
The group shares learnings through monthly calls, newsletters and biannual gatherings, and works collectively to accelerate political and financial support for global mental health, often around global health and international development moments to ensure that mental health is highly visible and progress is made.
Share information and identify ways to collaborate
We share news on global mental health activities, events and opportunities for collaboration: there is a monthly newsletter; a LinkedIn group; and regular calls and webinars.
Work together to make change happen
We convene and run working groups; we organise joint events; we come together around key global moments to advocate for change.
Membership is open, and projects are agreed and progressed collaboratively, toward joint targets based on the WHO Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Why does it do it?
Together, we believe we can progress the understanding and support for mental health globally, so that everyone, everywhere has someone to turn to when their mental health needs support.
Key priorities
Advocacy - the Global Mental Health Action Network aims to accelerate political and financial support for global mental health through joint advocacy. Previous successes include the integration of mental health into the UHC HLM statement and the Global Fund.
Communications - the Global Mental Health Action Network aims to increase the impact of the mental health sector through joint communications and messaging. This was seen at Davos 2020 when members were unified with their message to global leaders - that 2020 is the #TimeToInvest.
Working Groups - the Global Mental Health Action Network has recently established working groups for more focused collaboration on Youth, Financing, Humanitarian and UHC and will be developing these throughout 2020.