ISLAMABAD: The International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP) announced this month the election of Pakistani psychiatrist Dr. Ayesha Mian as its president for the 2026–2030 term, making her the first Pakistani and the first South Asian to lead the global organization since it was founded in 1937.
IACAPAP, a global association representing child and adolescent psychiatrists and allied mental health professionals, promotes research, policy and clinical practice to improve the mental health and development of children and adolescents worldwide. The organization has members and affiliated societies across more than 100 countries and holds a world congress every four years.
The announcement was made following elections held during the 27th IACAPAP World Congress in Hamburg, Germany, with the association naming Mian as president alongside a new international leadership team that includes office-bearers from Australia, the United States and Brazil.
Mian is the founder and chief executive of the Synapse – Pakistan Neuroscience Institute and previously served as founding dean of students and chair of psychiatry at Aga Khan University. She trained in adult and child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and later served on the faculty of Baylor College of Medicine before returning to Pakistan.
She has served on IACAPAP’s executive leadership in recent years and has led several international initiatives aimed at expanding access to child and adolescent mental health services, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
Child and adolescent mental health has become an increasing global public health priority, with the World Health Organization estimating that one in seven people aged 10 to 19 experiences a mental health condition, many of which remain undiagnosed and untreated. IACAPAP works with clinicians, researchers and policymakers worldwide to strengthen mental health services, training and advocacy for children and young people.
