President calls for national mental health policy to address mental health issues

• He said  24% population of country was facing various mental health issues.
• President expressed these views while chairing meeting on mental health.
• The role of family in providing psychological support was also highlighted.

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi has emphasized the need for formulation of a national mental health policy to address the mental health issues in Pakistan.

He said that 24% population of the country was facing various mental health issues and it required an institutional framework and public-private partnership to provide mental health services to the people.

The President expressed these views while chairing a follow-up meeting on mental health in Pakistan, at Aiwan-e-Sadr.

A detailed presentation by the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination on the National Mental Health App “Humraaz” highlighted that more than 240,000 calls had been received since its launch in April 2023. The President appreciated the launching of “Humraaz” that was providing mental health assistance and counselling services to the people in need.

The President called for improving the effectiveness of the Humraaz app, besides strengthening the mental health support system in the country. He highlighted that mental health was a major concern for Pakistan which required coordinated efforts by both the public and private sectors to utilize their expertise.

He further emphasized the need for an integrated approach on all mental health-related programs and initiatives to effectively address the mental health challenge being faced by the country. He urged the need for the capacity building of human resources, besides providing online trainings to overcome the shortage of mental health professionals.

The meeting underscored the need for raising awareness about mental health issues to educate the people about the importance of seeking mental health counselling. The role of the family in providing psychological support and helping manage health issues was also highlighted.

During the meeting, the need for collective measures and an integrated approach involving various stakeholders, including relevant ministries, Pakistani psychiatric associations based in the USA and the UK, and civil society was also stressed.

The Federal Minister for Health Services, Regulations and Coordination appreciated the role played by President Dr Arif Alvi and the First Lady in raising awareness about various health issues in Pakistan. He expressed the hope that the precedent set by the Presidency would be sustained and followed.

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The meeting was attended by the Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Dr Nadeem Jan, other organizations working on mental health attended the meeting via video link.