ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has launched its National Mental Health Policy at the Pakistan Global Mental Health Summit 2026, seeking to address gaps in psychiatric care and make mental health services more accessible across the country.
Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal announced the policy at the summit’s opening session this week, describing mental health as a shared national responsibility requiring coordinated action across healthcare, education and communities.
Estimates cited by the minister indicate that around 24 million people in Pakistan require psychiatric assistance, while the country has fewer than one psychiatrist for every 500,000 people. Mental health disorders also account for a significant burden 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,” Mr Kamal said.
Expanding Access
The policy establishes a common national framework while allowing provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir to develop implementation plans tailored to their local needs.
Mr Kamal said the government’s approach covered the full continuum of mental healthcare, from promotion and prevention to early identification, treatment, rehabilitation and recovery.
Key priorities include integrating mental health services into primary healthcare, expanding community-based support and improving access to specialist treatment where required.
The minister stressed that children and young people must remain at the centre of the national response, with schools, families and health services working together to identify mental health concerns early.
He also called for stronger support during floods and other emergencies, better training for healthcare workers and wider use of digital health services to reach underserved communities.
Action Plans
Mr Kamal announced that letters of understanding would be signed with provincial health and education departments, alongside the Islamabad Declaration for Mental Health, to translate policy commitments into practical action.
He said provinces had been involved in developing the policy from the outset and that the federal government would provide technical assistance to help them prepare implementation plans.
“These implementation plans will have clear priorities, responsibilities, timelines and measurable results,” he said.
The minister said the ultimate objective was to ensure people could access mental health services within their own communities rather than face barriers to obtaining care.
He also emphasised the importance of involving people with lived experience of mental health challenges, young people and families in developing services that respond to the needs of communities.
Mr Kamal acknowledged the contributions of provincial leadership, health and education departments, the Global Institute of Human Development, Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF and other development partners.
He urged participants to turn the summit’s commitments into coordinated action to build accessible, people-centred mental health services throughout Pakistan.
Global Cooperation
Minister of State for Health Dr Malik Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath said the policy represented a shared commitment to bringing mental healthcare closer to families through schools, primary healthcare facilities and communities.
He also highlighted the economic benefits of investing in mental health, saying every dollar invested in addressing conditions such as depression and anxiety could generate four dollars in returns through better health and improved productivity.
WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said mental health support should be available without stigma.
“There is no shame in needing mental health support. Anyone can be affected at some point in our lives,” he said, reaffirming the WHO’s commitment to working with Pakistan to improve access to care.
UNICEF representative in Pakistan Pernille Ironside said children’s mental health and wellbeing were fundamental to their ability to learn, develop and thrive. She called for greater emphasis on prevention, early identification and care, particularly as climate change and digital environments increasingly affect young people.
Dr Syed Usman Hamdani, director of the Global Institute of Human Development, highlighted the role of research, implementation science and community-based innovation in strengthening mental health services.
The summit 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”.
Pakistan aims to establish the gathering as a flagship international platform for advancing mental health policy, innovation and global partnerships, with a focus on equitable, climate-resilient services.
