ISLAMABAD: (News Desk) – The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination will host the Pakistan Global Mental Health Summit 2026 in Islamabad on October 1 and 2, bringing together government representatives, mental health experts, international organisations and young people to discuss ways to strengthen mental health services across the country.
The summit will take place at Serena Hotel under the theme “Building Climate-Resilient and Future-Ready Mental Health Systems for Children, Young People and Communities”, with support from development partners. The event is being organised in conjunction with World Mental Health Day 2026.
The two-day programme will focus on child and adolescent mental health, suicide prevention, substance use, digital mental health and innovation, as well as the development of climate-resilient mental health systems. It will also feature the launch of the South Asia Child and Adolescent Mental Health Landscape Analysis.
Participants will include federal and provincial government representatives, parliamentarians, United Nations partners, national and international mental health specialists, academic institutions, civil society organisations, development partners and people with lived experience of mental health conditions.
Minister of State for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Dr Malik Mukhtar Ahmad said the summit was expected to strengthen political and institutional commitment to mental health. The event is also expected to culminate in the adoption of the Islamabad Declaration on Mental Health, outlining priority actions for equitable, community-based and climate-resilient services.
The proposed measures include integrating mental health care into primary healthcare, schools and disaster preparedness plans. The summit will also promote the meaningful involvement of people with lived experience in policymaking, research and service design.
Partnerships and investment involving the World Health Organization, UNICEF, academic institutions, the Pakistani diaspora, development partners and philanthropic organisations will also be encouraged to support broader access to mental health services under universal health coverage.
Pakistan faces a substantial burden of mental, neurological and substance use conditions, while mental health services remain fragmented, underfunded and largely concentrated in urban tertiary-care facilities.
According to figures provided in the ministry’s summit brief, an estimated 10 to 16 per cent of adults experience mild-to-moderate psychiatric conditions, while a further 1 to 2 per cent live with severe mental illness. Mental disorders are also identified as a leading cause of years lived with disability nationally and across several regions, including Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Islamabad. The brief further identifies mental disorders as the leading contributor to total disability-adjusted life years among Pakistani women.
The treatment gap remains a major challenge, with an estimated 80 per cent or more of people with a diagnosable mental illness receiving no formal mental healthcare in a given year. Pakistan has approximately 500 psychiatrists and 200 clinical psychologists for a population exceeding 240 million, while only around one per cent of psychiatric beds nationwide are reserved for children and adolescents.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Health Services is developing the National Mental Health Policy 2026–35 in consultation with the provinces and regions. The policy aims to translate national commitments into practical measures at the provincial and regional levels, with the summit expected to provide a platform for advancing this process.
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