GA at UN: Mental Health for All

Mental Health for All: An Evening for Action brought together leaders, distinguished guests, champions of mental health and advocates with lived experience from around the world. James Chau, WHO Goodwill Ambassador for SDG and Health, introduced the evening acknowledging the historic event from today, as the UN welcomed the ‘most comprehensive agreement ever on global health.’

Messages were consistent from speakers that included UNGA President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, Queen Mathilde of Belgium (a trained psychologist and UNSDG advocate) and WHO Director General Dr. Tedros, that mental health is the least talked about issue, yet presents some of the largest barriers to achieving the SDG, and that the time to invest must be now. 

However, it was in a passionate speech by Amina J. Mohammed, the Deputy Secretary General of the UN, that clearly articulated one of the greatest challenges to achieving UHC, that even on this platform of the UNHLM, ‘not up to 5 ministers put mental health in their speech.’ Despite this sobering statement, the launch of Speak Your Mind a new global civil society campaign, organized by United for Global Mental Health was supported with hope and excitement, as they call on everyone to take 40 seconds to raise your voice with an aim of catalyzing action. #40seconds #speakyourmind