Islamabad (GNP): Pakistan has launched its National Mental Health Policy at the Pakistan Global Mental Health Summit 2026, with the aim of closing gaps in psychiatric care and making services easier to reach across the country.
Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal announced the policy at the summit’s opening session this week. He described mental health as a shared national responsibility that needs coordinated action from the health sector, schools and communities.
The minister cited estimates suggesting around 24 million people in Pakistan need psychiatric help. The country, he noted, has fewer than one psychiatrist for every 500,000 people. Mental health disorders also account for a large share of the years people live with disability.
The policy sets a common national framework. Provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir will draw up their own implementation plans to suit local needs.
Kamal said the approach covers the full range of care, from promotion and prevention to early identification, treatment, rehabilitation and recovery. Its priorities include building mental health services into primary healthcare, growing community-based support and improving access to specialist treatment.
Children and young people, he said, must stay at the centre of the response. Schools, families and health services are expected to work together to spot problems early.
He also called for stronger support during floods and other emergencies, better training for health workers and wider use of digital health services in underserved areas.
To turn commitments into action, the minister said letters of understanding will be signed with provincial health and education departments. The Islamabad Declaration for Mental Health will also be signed. He added that provinces helped shape the policy from the start and will receive technical help from the federal government as they prepare their plans.
Those plans, he said, will set out clear priorities, responsibilities, timelines and measurable results. The aim is for people to get care in their own communities without facing barriers. Kamal also stressed the need to involve people with lived experience, young people and families in designing services.
He thanked provincial leaders, health and education departments, the Global Institute of Human Development, Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other development partners.
Minister of State for Health Dr Malik Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath said the policy reflects a shared pledge to bring care closer to families through schools, primary healthcare facilities and communities. He also pointed to the economic case, saying each dollar spent on conditions such as depression and anxiety can return four dollars through better health and productivity.
WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said support should be available without stigma and promised continued work with Pakistan to widen access to care.
UNICEF representative in Pakistan Pernille Ironside said children’s mental wellbeing is vital to their ability to learn and grow. She urged more focus on prevention and early care, as climate change and digital environments increasingly affect young people.
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Dr Syed Usman Hamdani, director of the Global Institute of Human Development, highlighted the role of research and community-based innovation in strengthening services.
The summit is being held in Islamabad under the theme of building climate-resilient and future-ready mental health systems for children, young people and communities. Pakistan hopes to make it a flagship international platform for mental health policy, innovation and partnerships.
Syed Mustafa Kamal said, “Everyone deserves care, dignity and respect.”
Managing Editor at Global News Pakistan (GNP), with a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Riphah International University, graduated with a Gold Medal. Reach out at sabahtareengnp@gmail.com
