President for integrated efforts on mental health initiatives

President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday stressed the need for integrating the initiatives taken by various public departments to address the challenges pertaining to mental health.

Chairing a follow-up meeting on mental health, he said the initiatives on mental health taken by the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Planning and Development and Special Initiatives, and the President’s House could be integrated by optimising processes and combining them to develop an effective artificial Intelligence based helpline.

Members of the National Commission for Human Rights, the World Health Organization, the Pakistan Psychological Association, the Pakistan Psychiatric Society, officials of the Taskeen Health Initiative, and members of the academia attended the meeting at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Tuesday.

The president said the helpline could reach out to the maximum population around the country to provide them counselling and advice on mental health issues faced by them. He added the financial needs may be determined by the relevant stakeholders.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th, 2023.