Pakistan Unveils National Mental Health Policy as Global Summit Begins in Islamabad
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Global Mental Health Summit 2026 opened in Islamabad on 1 October 2026 with the launch of the National Mental Health Policy, a step aimed at strengthening mental health services and improving access to care across the country.
The inaugural ceremony was held at Serena Hotel, Islamabad. Minister of State for Health Dr Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath, parliamentarians, ambassadors of various countries, the Deputy Representative of the World Health Organization, and health and psychology experts attended the event.
Addressing the opening session, Federal Minister for Health Syed Mustafa Kamal said the new policy had been prepared with a clear objective: to bring mental healthcare closer to every family in Pakistan.
He said mental health could not be treated as a matter for the health sector alone, adding that it was a shared national responsibility requiring coordinated work across health, education, communities and other sectors.
The minister said estimates showed that around 24 million people in Pakistan needed psychiatric assistance, while the country had fewer than one psychiatrist for every 500,000 people. He also said mental health disorders represented a major burden in terms of years lived with disability.
“Behind these numbers are children struggling at school, parents unable to work and families looking for help. Everyone deserves care, dignity and respect,” Syed Mustafa Kamal said.
He said the National Mental Health Policy offered a common national direction while giving provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir space to take measures according to their local requirements.
The federal minister said the government’s approach covered the complete continuum of mental healthcare, from promotion and prevention to early identification, treatment, rehabilitation and recovery.
He identified the inclusion of mental health in primary healthcare, the strengthening of community-based services, and access to specialist care where needed as major priorities of the policy.
Syed Mustafa Kamal said children and young people must remain central to the national mental health response. He called for closer coordination among schools, families and health services to identify and address mental health needs at an early stage.
He also underlined the need to strengthen mental health support during floods and other emergencies, build the capacity of healthcare workers and expand digital health services for underserved communities.
The minister announced that Letters of Understanding would be signed with provincial health and education departments, along with the Islamabad Declaration for Mental Health, to turn policy commitments into practical action.
He said all provinces had been part of the policy development process from the beginning, and the federal government would provide the required technical assistance to help them prepare implementation plans according to their respective needs.
“These implementation plans will have clear priorities, responsibilities, timelines and measurable results,” he said.
Syed Mustafa Kamal said the ultimate aim was to convert national commitments into mental health services that people could access within their own communities.
He appreciated the support and ownership of provincial leadership and health and education departments. He also acknowledged the continued collaboration of the Global Institute of Human Development, Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, WHO, UNICEF and other development partners.
The minister said people with lived experience of mental health challenges, young people and families must remain an essential part of the process, as their voices were necessary for shaping services that respond to real community needs.
He urged all stakeholders to leave the summit with a shared commitment to action and to work together for stronger, accessible and people-centred mental health services across Pakistan.
Pakistan Global Mental Health Summit 2026 is being held in Islamabad under the theme, “Building Climate-Resilient and Future-Ready Mental Health Systems for Children, Young People and Communities in Pakistan.”
