ISLAMABAD, Oct 14 (APP): Mental health experts have called for strengthening psychiatric services, investing in professional development and expanding international collaboration to improve mental healthcare in Pakistan.
The call was made during a session titled “From Pakistan to the Globe: Mental Health Research and Academic Excellence” at the Mental Health Summit, where national and international experts discussed the country’s achievements, challenges and future priorities in mental health.
The session opened with a presentation titled “Global Contributions to Mental Health: Learning from International Leaders” by Associate Professor Dr. Sadia Yasir, Head of Psychiatry at Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore, and Professor Dr. Irum Aamer, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Fatima Jinnah Medical University.
Under the theme “We Did Not Come From Nowhere – We Stand Because They Stood,” the speakers paid tribute to generations of psychiatrists whose contributions have shaped clinical practice, research, education and mental health policy in Pakistan.
The tribute recognized senior professionals, including Professors Khalid Mufti, Unaiza Niaz, Khalid Tareen, Saad Bashir Malik, Rizwan Taj, Fareed Aslam Minhas, Ghulam Rasool and Iqbal Afridi, for their contributions to the development of psychiatry in the country.
It also acknowledged contemporary leaders, including Professors Aftab Asif, Ali Madeeh Hashmi, Wahab Yousafzai, Ayesha Rashid, Nazish Imran, Wajid Ali Akhundzada, Aftab Qadir, Imtiaz Dogar, Ayesha Minhas and Asad Nizami, alongside Pakistani professionals who have contributed to mental health research and services internationally.
Highlighting the role of the Pakistani diaspora, Dr. Shahid Latif of the British Psychiatric Association (BPA), UK, underscored opportunities for international collaboration, professional mentorship and knowledge-sharing to support mental health services and academic institutions in Pakistan.
National experts, including Professor Dr. Iqbal Afridi of Jinnah Sindh Medical University and the Higher Education Commission, former Executive Director of the Balochistan Institute of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Professor Dr. Ghulam Rasool, and psychiatrist Brigadier Dr. Mowadat Rana, discussed key challenges facing the country’s mental health sector.
They emphasized the need to develop a skilled mental health workforce, improve service quality, strengthen institutional capacity and translate research findings and professional expertise into practical improvements in patient care.
The session concluded with a call to build on the achievements of previous generations, invest in local expertise and align national mental health priorities with global research and best practices to develop more accessible, effective and responsive services across Pakistan.