The Aga Khan University’s Brain and Mind Institute (BMI) has concluded its three-day Global Conference on Brain and Mental Health, held from November 3–5 at AKU’s Stadium Road campus in Karachi. Themed “Building Thriving Communities: Promoting Brain and Mental Health,” the conference brought together leading researchers, clinicians, policymakers and community leaders from across Pakistan and around the world to discuss urgent priorities for mental health in the Global South.

 

The event featured national and international speakers and panelists, including experts from the University of Liverpool, National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR–UK) and Imperial College London. Dr Zafar Mirza, Former State Minister of Health, Government of Pakistan also addressed the audience at the conference. Sessions explored digital mental health, youth and migration, climate and brain health, suicide prevention, dementia & healthy brain aging and community-based models of care. Film screenings and live performances also offered personal reflections on lived experience and resilience.

 

“The science of the brain and mind has advanced enormously, but its greatest promise lies in how it can help us build healthier, more resilient individuals and communities,” explained Dr Ozioma Okonkwo, Professor from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “This conference has been an inspiring example of that shared purpose.”