Health Systems

We are committed to ensuring that mental health becomes an integral part of every health system across the world, with a particular focus on integrating mental health services into primary care. This is the most efficient and effective way to bridge the treatment gap and provide essential mental health services to everyone, everywhere.

 

Advocacy 

We are dedicated to advocating for high-quality, rights-based, integrated, and person-centered mental health services. This includes ensuring that mental health services are integrated into a range of health programmes, covering noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), communicable diseases (e.g., HIV and TB), and sexual and reproductive health. This helps guarantee that people at all levels of care, particularly primary care, can receive comprehensive support.

 

Redistributing resources

As part of our commitment to deinstitutionalisation, we’re advocating for a shift in mental health financing from tertiary institutions to primary and community-based care. 

This redistribution of resources aims to make mental health services more accessible to everyone, no matter who or where they are. We want to make sure people can access mental health and psychosocial services even during an emergency.

 

Pushing for the mental health workforce the world needs

The world is in urgent need of a well-trained mental health workforce. So we are campaigning to address the shortage of mental health professionals, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. We’re coordinating national and regional efforts to develop a health workforce capable of delivering mental health promotion, prevention and treatment.

We’re encouraging governments worldwide to prioritise investment in the mental health workforce to help equip it to deliver the appropriate pharmacological and psychological treatments needed.  This investment will enhance the quality and accessibility of mental health care globally.

It will also help narrow the gap between the demand for mental health services and the available resources, ultimately improving the well-being of individuals and communities worldwide.