What is the Special Initiative for Mental Health?

Launched in 2019, this initiative brings mental health support closer to communities in participating countries by integrating services into local health centers through WHO’s Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP). The initiative trains healthcare workers to identify mental health conditions, provide basic care and support, and refer individuals to specialists when more advanced care is needed.

This initiative also involves close collaboration with Ministry of Health teams at both district and national levels to drive broader, long-term changes. This includes adopting new mental health laws, adding mental health services to public health coverage, and increasing national budget allocations for mental health.

60 million more people have access to mental health services

720,000+ people received their first mental health treatment

34,000+ personnel trained to deliver mental health services

Why is this work so critical?

• Mental health conditions make up to 10% of the global burden of disease
• Nearly 1 billion people have a mental disorder and 700,000 people die by suicide each year
• Global economic losses attributable to mental health condition are estimated at US$ 16 trillion
• Just 2.1% of countries’ health budgets is spent on mental health
• Less than 0.3% of global development assistance for health goes towards mental health
• In low-middle-income countries between 75% and 98% of people in need of support for mental health conditions receive no treatment at all

WHO’s role in mental health

Shaper

The World Health Organization (WHO) shapes the health research agenda and convenes scientists and experts from all over the world, using its monitoring and assessment of global health data and trends.

Regulator

WHO sets norms and standards to ensure access to safe solutions to mental health, respectful of citizens’ rights and privacy.

Convener

WHO has the power to convene governments, leading NGOs, philanthropists, and private sector executives to discuss and adopt evidence-based policy options that improve health systems.

Learn more about WHO’s work here.