ISLAMABAD: Pakistan launched a national mental health policy on Thursday to expand treatment through local health services, with Health Minister Mustafa Kamal saying millions needed psychiatric assistance in a country facing a severe shortage of specialists.

The policy prioritizes integrating mental health into primary health care alongside community support and referrals to specialists. The approach aims to make help available closer to home, with particular attention to children and young people.

Opening the Pakistan Global Mental Health Summit in Islamabad, Kamal said an estimated 24 million people required psychiatric assistance, while Pakistan had fewer than one psychiatrist for every 500,000 people. The figures underline the challenge of expanding access beyond a limited specialist workforce.

“Behind these numbers are children struggling at school, parents unable to work and families looking for help. Everyone deserves care, dignity and respect,” Kamal said, according to a government statement.

Pakistan’s National Mental Health Policy 2026–35 was developed through federal and provincial consultations, according to summit organizers. It provides a common framework while allowing provinces and other administrative regions to develop plans suited to local needs.

The minister said priorities included prevention, early identification, treatment, rehabilitation and recovery. Schools, families and health services would need to work together to identify children’s mental health needs earlier, while training health care workers and expanding digital services would help reach underserved communities.

Implementation plans will be developed with federal technical assistance, he said.

Agreements with provincial health and education departments would also be signed alongside an Islamabad Declaration for Mental Health.

“These implementation plans will have clear priorities, responsibilities, timelines and measurable results,” Kamal said.

The launch statement did not specify a dedicated budget, staffing targets or a timetable for expanding services nationwide.

Pakistan has previously sought to bring mental health treatment into everyday health care. A WHO assessment published in 2009 recorded a policy revised in 2003 that already advocated community services and integration into primary care. Thursday’s launch renews those objectives, with implementation plans intended to turn national commitments into accessible services.

Similar efforts are underway elsewhere in South Asia. India has authorized its district mental health program in 767 districts and operates a national telephone counseling service. Bangladesh is expanding primary care and telemedicine services through a WHO-supported initiative. Both approaches seek to reach people beyond specialist hospitals.

The new policy also emphasizes support during floods and other emergencies, when losses, displacement and disruption to health care can increase mental health needs.

WHO says emergencies can disrupt families, livelihoods and existing treatment, while increasing psychological distress. It recommends incorporating mental health support into disaster preparedness and providing care through trained general health workers as well as specialists.

The two-day summit brings together government officials, health professionals and development partners, including WHO and UNICEF. Kamal said people who have experienced mental health conditions, along with young people and families, should help shape services.

He said the policy’s ultimate objective was to turn national commitments into treatment and support that people could access within their own communities.