Prime Highlights:
- Iloilo City became the first Asian host of the Global Mental Health Advocacy Forum, welcoming experts from over 70 countries to discuss policy, financing, and rights.
- The forum emphasized community-based care, stigma reduction, and improved access to mental health services for youth and LGBTQIA+ communities.
Key Facts:
- The three-day event, held from February 2 to 4, gathered more than 500 stakeholders at the Iloilo City Convention Center.
- Discussions included shifting from institutionalized care to community-based services, suicide prevention, and addressing mental health impacts of climate anxiety among Filipino youth.
Background:
Iloilo City hosted Asia’s first Global Mental Health Forum with experts from 70+ countries.
Dr. Antonis Kousoulis, director of Partnerships and lead of the GMHAN Secretariat, emphasized the importance of global collaboration. He emphasized the importance of understanding different mental health challenges and working together. While no system is flawless, gatherings like this can help governments focus on community care, fight stigma, and make mental health services more accessible for everyone, including young people and LGBTQIA+ groups.
Key topics at the forum included moving from institutional care to community-based mental health services, suicide prevention, sustainable funding despite global aid cuts, and mental health issues linked to climate anxiety. Michael Angelo Pereira, Secretary-General of MentalHealthPH, said that while progress has been made since the 2018 Mental Health Act, gaps still exist, especially in workforce availability and access to services.
Pereira noted that, despite challenges, progress is being made in fighting stigma and expanding mental health programs. Adding mental health to primary care and community programs is bringing positive changes.
The forum gave participants a chance to share lessons and strategies to improve mental health systems across countries. Organizers and attendees were hopeful that these efforts would keep strengthening mental health in the Philippines and beyond.
As the first Asian host, Iloilo City showed the Philippines’ commitment to mental health and offered ideas for better, more inclusive policies in the region.
