Registration and Networking
Ice Breaker Activity – Interactive media on the journey of self awareness to social awareness for all participants placed at their tables.
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Program
Day 1, Thursday, 1 October 2026: Policy, Advocacy and National Commitments
08:30 – 09:00 AM
09:00 – 09:05 AM
Recitation from the Holy Quran
National Anthem
SESSION I: PLENARY OPENING CEREMONY AND NATIONAL LEADERSHIP SESSION
09:05 – 09:10 AM
Welcome Remarks by the Director General, Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination
09:10 – 09:45 AM
The National Mental Health Policy for Pakistan: The Journey
Dr Syed Usman Hamdani, Founding Director, Global Institute of Human Development, Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University
Special Recorded Messages
- Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO)
- Miss Helga Fogstad, Director Health Programme, UNICEF
- Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho, Provincial Minister of Sindh
Remarks by Ms. Ellen Thom, Deputy WHO Representative (Deputy WR), World Health Organization (WHO) Pakistan
09:45 – 09:55 AM
Opening Address by the H.E. Syed Mustafa Kamal, Honourable Federal Minister of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination and Launch of the National Mental Health Policy, Govt. of Pakistan
09:55 – 11:00 AM
SESSION II: HIGH-LEVEL PLENARYMental Health in Pakistan: From Evidence to National Action
Moderator: Dr Mark van Ommeren, Unit Head, WHO
Participants:
- Dr. Malik Mukhtar Ahmed, Minister of State for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination
- Prof. Dr. Iqbal Afridi, HEC Distinguished National Professor (DNP), Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU)
- Dr. Sohail Munir, Chairperson, Pakistan Digital Authority
- Dr. Nadeem Jan, Ex Federal Minister, Health
- Ms. Harriet Roos, Head of Cooperation, High Commission of Canada, Pakistan
- H.E. Mr. Carlos Aragón Gil de la Serna, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Pakistan, Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain, Islamabad
11:00 – 11:30 AM
Tea Break
Media Talks by the Ministers and Delegates
- Group Photo
- Gallery Walk – Lived Experiences of Immigrants, youth, flood-affected & Elderly
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
SESSION III: HIGH-LEVEL PLENARIESPlenary on National Mental Health Policy
Moderator: Dr. Joanna Lai, Adolescent Health Specialist, UNICEF
Participants:
- Prof. Dr. Thomas Schulze, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, President, World Psychiatric Association (WPA)
- Prof. Dr Rizwan Taj, President, Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC)
- Prof. Dr. Muhammad Waqar Azeem, Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry, Sidra Medicine, Qatar
- Prof. Dr. Wajid Ali Akhundzada, President, Pakistan Psychiatric Society (PPS)
- Prof. Dr. Asad Tamizuddin Nizami, Dean, Faculty of Psychiatry, CPSP
- Prof. Dr. Rafia Rafique, President, Pakistan Psychological Association (PPA) - (Online)
- Ms. Sabiha Shaheen, Focal Person, Prime Minister’s Youth Programme
Group Photo of Participants on Stage
12:30 – 12:40 PM
Short FilmMental Health Crisis in Flood Affected Areas
12:40 – 01:15 PM
Launch of the Policy on Climate-Resilient Mental Health Systems
Moderator: Mr. Ali Hasnain, Policy Advisor, United for Global Mental Health (UGMH)
Keynote address: H.E. Ms. Romina Khursheed Alam, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Climate Change
Participants:
- Mr. Ameer Mohyuddin, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Climate Change & Environmental Coordination.
- Mr. Zulfiqar Younas, Senior Advisor Climate Finance, CVF-V20
- Mr. Alessandro Massazza, UGMH (Online)
- Mr. Bashart Issa, Faculty Director Academic Centers and Lecturer Comparative Humanities, Habib University
- Ms Zulikha, Advisor/ Program Manager on Gender and Child Cell - NDMA
- Mr. Aman Ali, Minister for School Education, Gilgit-Baltistan
01:15 – 02:15 PM
Group PhotoLunch and Media Engagement
SESSION IV: CHILD AND ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEMS
02:15 – 03:00 PM
Plenary 1: Launch of South Asia Child and Adolescent Mental Health Landscape Analysis Report and Policy Brief
Remarks by Mr. Gunter Boussery, Chief of Health, UNICEF Pakistan Office
Presentation & Moderation by: Dr. Syed Usman Hamdani, Founding Director, GIHD, STMU
Participants:
- Prof. Dr Ayesha Minhas, Pakistan
- Dr. Eranga Rajapakshe, Director of Mental Health Services, Ministry of Health & Mass Media, Sri Lanka
- Dr. Gunjan Dhonju, Kanti Children’s Hospital/ Kathmandu Institute of Child Health (KIOCH), Nepal
- Dr. Sifat E Syed, Assistant Professor of Child Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Bangladesh Medical University, Bangladesh (Online)
- Ms. Neelima Chhetri, Mental Health Nurse, Department of Psychiatry, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital- Bhutan
- Dr. Eman Gaber works with the General Secretariat of Mental Health and Addiction Treatment (GSMHAT), Ministry of Health, Egypt (Online)
03:00 – 03:15 PM
Plenary 2: PresentationFrom Risk to Resilience: BNU Substance Use Control Program
Dr. Moeed Yusuf, Vice Chancellor, Beaconhouse National University (BNU) (Online)
03:15 – 04:00 PM
Plenary 3: Scaling Child and Adolescent Mental Health in PakistanPromotion, Prevention, Early Intervention and Care through Schools, Communities and Primary Health Care
Moderator: Ms. Sanaa Ahmed, British Asian Trust (BAT)
Participants
- Prof. Dr. Nazish Imran, Professor of Child Psychiatry, KEMU, Pakistan
- Dr. Zill-e-Huma, Senior Research Fellow, GIHD, STMU
- Dr. Rubina Kidwai, Taskeen Initiative
- Ms. Nirjira Khatri, Youth Advocate, Bargad
04:00 – 04:30 PM
Tea Break
04:30 – 05:00 PM
Plenary 4: Scaling Child and Adolescent Mental Health in PakistanGlobal Initiatives on Adolescent Mental Health
Moderator: Dr. Joanna Lai, Adolescent Health Specialist, UNICEF
Participants:
- Dr. Byron Bitanihirwe, Programme Manager BEING, Science for Africa Foundation (Online)
- Ms. Brittney Margaret Dudar, Portfolio Manager, Grand Challenges Canada (Online)
- Mr. Giovanni Abrahão Salum, Senior Vice President, Global Programs, Program Co-director, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Global Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Child Mind Institute & SNF-CMI Child and Adolescent Mental Health Initiative (Online)
- Mr. Gregory Renand, Head, Z Zurich Foundation (Online)
05:00 – 06:00 PM
SESSION V: LIVED EXPERIENCE HEARD: REAL VOICES, REAL CHANGE
Moderator: Ms. Haya Fatima Iqbal, Documentary Filmmaker
Participants
- Ms. Sania Saeed, UGMH
- Ms. Haleema Sadia, Autism Specialist
- Ms. Kami Choudhary, Subrang Society
- Mr. Ali Zaidi, CEO, Quetta Book Café
Closing Remarks by the Director General (Health), Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination
06:00 – 09:30 PM
Islamabad Sightseeing and Dinner
End of Day 1
Day 2, Friday, 2 October 2026: Research, Education, Innovation and Future Systems
09:00 – 09:05 AM
Welcome Remarks by the Director General (Health), Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination
09:05 – 09:10 AM
Recap of Day 1 and Key Messages
Dr Syed Usman Hamdani, Founding Director, GIHD, STMU
Participants:
- Prof. Dr. Ali Madeeh Hashmi, Head of Department of Psychiatry, KEMU
- Dr. Afifa Binte Irfan, Technical Officer to the Minister of State
- Dr. Sardar Aftab Hussain Khan, Director General of Health, AJK
- Mr. Aman Ali, Minister for School Education, Gilgit-Baltistan
- Dr. Humaira Seemab, Director of Public Health, KPK
- Dr. Ababgar Baloch, Director, Balochistan Health and Services Delivery Unit
- Mr. Lutaf Ali Mangrio, Sindh Integrated Emergency Health Services
09:10 – 10:00 AM
SESSION VI: HIGH-LEVEL PLENARYProtecting Young Lives – A National Dialogue on Suicide Prevention
Moderator: Prof. Dr Ali Madeeh Hashmi, Professor of Psychiatry, KEMU & Diplomate, American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology
Participants
- Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq, Chairperson of the National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC)
- Dr Mark van Ommeren, Unit Head, WHO
- Prof. Stevan Weine, Professor & Director, Center for Global Health, University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), USA
- Prof. Dr. Michael Philip Eddleston, Founder of the Centre for Pesticide Suicide Prevention, University of Edinburgh, UK
- Mr. Irfan Ali Taj, Civil Society, Writer, Musician and Singer from Chitral
- Mr. Tauseef Ali Shah, Child Protection Officer
10:00 – 10:45 AM
SESSION VII: DATA & DIGITAL MENTAL HEALTH
Moderators: Dr. Hasan Bin Hamza, Public Health Expert
Participants:
- Dr. Adelaide Robb, Division Chief, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Children's National Hospital, USA
- Dr Safina Abdulloeva-Health Manager, UNICEF
- Dr Ababgar Baloch, Provincial Coordinator, Balochistan Health Management Information System (BHMIS)
- Mr. Lutaf Ali Mangrio, CEO Sindh Integrated Emergency & Health Services (SIEHS)
- Prof. Dr. Trudie Lang, Director, The Global Health Network, University of Oxford, UK & Online Support and Intervention for Childhood Anxiety (OSI) (Online)
- Prof. Dr. Geoffery M. Reed, Professor of Medical Psychology, Director, Columbia-WHO Center for Global Mental Health, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
10:45 – 11:15 AM
Tea Break and Media Talks
11:15 AM – 12:15 PM
SESSION VIII: PLENARYSubstance Use and Mental Health: A Whole-of-Society Response
Moderator: Ms Rizwana Rahul, UNODC
Participants:
- Dr Khalid Saeed, Regional Adviser, Mental Health Neurological and Substance use disorders, WHO EMRO (Online)
- Lt. Col. Mir Musab Omer, Anti-Narcotics Force
- Dr. Kamran Niaz, UNODC (Online)
- Ms. Sanita Suhartono, UNODC (Online)
- Prof Saira Afzal, Dean, Chief Executive Officer, Institute of Public Health, Punjab (Online)
- Dr. Syed Kaleem Imam, Law Enforcement and Governance Expert
- Ms. Aisha Mughal, Activist, Scholar, and Researcher
- Dr. Zia ul Haq, Executive Director, Higher Education Commission (HEC) (Online)
Remarks by Ms. Asima Firoz, Psychotherapist.
01:00 – 02:15 PM
Prayer, Lunch, Media Engagement & Interactive Gallery Walk
Lived Experiences of Immigrants, Youth, Flood-Affected Communities
02:15 – 03:00 PM
SESSION IX: FROM INNOVATION TO IMPACTBEING Research Excellence Hub on Youth Stressors for Wellbeing
Moderator: Prof. Brandon Kohrt, Professor; Director, Center for Global Mental Health Equity, George Washington University (GWU), USA
Participants
- Dr. Byron Bitanihirwe, Programme Manager BEING, Science for Africa Foundation (Online)
- Prof. Dr. Syed Usman Hamdani, Founding Director GIHD STMU
- Dr. Amirah, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Indonesia – Lead
- Prof. Dr. Trudie Lang, Director, The Global Health Network, University of Oxford, UK (Online)
- Dr. Joanna Lai, Adolescent Health Specialist, UNICEF
SESSION X: FROM PAKISTAN TO THE GLOBE: MENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH AND ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
03:00 – 03:15 PM
Global Contributions to Mental Health: Learning from International Leaders
Presentations by:
- Associate Prof. Dr. Sadia Yasir, Head of Psychiatry, Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore
- Prof. Dr. Irum Aamer, Associate Professor (Psychiatry), Fatima Jinnah Medical University
03:15 – 03:45 PM
National Mental Health Leaders: Perspectives and Priorities
Speakers:
- Prof. Dr. Iqbal Afridi, HEC Distinguished National Professor (DNP), Jinnah Sindh Medical University
- Prof. Dr. Ghulam Rasool, Ex-Executive Director, Balochistan Institute of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (BIPBS)
- Brig. Dr. Mowadat Rana, Psychiatrist
03:45 – 03:55 PM
Concluding Reflections
Prof. Dr. Fareed A. Minhas, ICT
03:55 – 04:15 PM
Pakistan Diaspora: Global Expertise and Perspectives for Pakistan
Video Recorded Messages
04:15 – 04:20 PM
“National Youth Reel Competition 2026”, World Mental Health Day 2026Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change
04:20 – 05:00 PM
SESSION XI: CLOSING PLENARYFrom Mental Health Commitments to Action – A Collective Call for Mental Health in Pakistan
- Launch of National Partnerships
- Adoption of The Islamabad Declaration on Mental Health
Reflections
- Dr Mark van Ommeren, Unit Head, WHO
Closing Remarks
- Dr Luo Dapeng, WHO Representative in Pakistan
- Mr. Gunter Boussery, Chief of Health, UNICEF Pakistan Office
- Prof. Dr. Mohammad Iqbal Khan, Vice Chancellor, STMU
- Dr Zaeem Zia, Director General, Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination
- H.E. Dr. Malik Mukhtar Ahmad, Minister of State for Health, M/o NHSR&C
- Dr. Ameen Mandokhail, Director General Health Services, Balochistan
- Prof. Dr. Muhammad Waqar Azeem, Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry, Sidra Medicine, Qatar
- Ms. Amira Khan, Member of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab
Group Photograph
05:00 PM
Closing refreshments
06:30 – 10:00 PM
Meet the People Behind the MovementA Pakistan Global Mental Health Networking & Vision Dinner
Collective Voices. Shared Commitments. A Mental Health Future for Pakistan.
Programme details are subject to change.
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