World Mental Health Day highlights need to break stigma in Pakistan
“World Mental Health Day is being observed in Pakistan and around the world on Saturday to raise awareness about mental health, combat stigma and discrimination, and improve access to treatment and sup…”
However, only 5% of the country’s population has access to mental health services, leaving nearly 95% without access to such care. The report highlights a significant shortage of mental health professionals in the country. Pakistan has approximately 0.19 psychiatrists per 100,000 people, compared with an average of seven per 100,000 in high-income countries.
The limited availability of specialists and inadequate access to treatment facilities remain major challenges for mental health care in Pakistan. On October 1, the government launched the National Mental Health Policy 2026–2035 in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other partners.
The policy aims to improve mental health care and expand access to services for people in need. This year’s World Mental Health Day theme is “Access to Services – Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies.”
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However, the campaign highlighted in the report focuses on listening to the experiences of people living with mental health conditions, under the message “Real Voices, Real Change.”, the initiative seeks to ensure that the experiences of people facing mental health challenges are reflected in policymaking, treatment and support systems.
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