ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday urged the need for a comprehensive strategy to address the growing challenge of mental health problems in the country.
He asked for taking collective steps and adopting an integrated approach involving different stakeholders, including relevant ministries, the Prime Minister’s Office, psychiatric associations, NGOs, and civil society, to overcome the mental health issues in Pakistan.
The president expressed these views while chairing a follow-up meeting on mental health, at Aiwan-e-Sadr, President Secretariat Press Wing said in a press note.
During the meeting, the president said that mental health was a major concern, demanding a coordinated approach from all involved parties. He said that around 24 percent of the country’s population was facing different mental health problems, and 60 percent of college and university students were under stress.
He said that this situation needed the immediate attention of the government, healthcare professionals, civil society groups, and the media.
Awareness of Mental Health Issues
The president urged for concise and impactful messaging to create awareness about mental health problems by drawing upon the lessons learned from the successful campaigns on the COVID-19 pandemic and breast cancer. He said that coordinated efforts were needed to overcome the taboos and social stigmas attached to mental health issues in Pakistan.
President Alvi also highlighted the need for increasing the number of mental health professionals, besides taking measures for the capacity building of human resources to provide quality counseling and help to people.
He further said that such initiatives should be supported and sustained in the future by successive governments.
The president also appreciated the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between an international NGO and a private media group in Pakistan to raise awareness about mental health problems.
