A plenary session at the 6th Global Mental Health Ministerial Summit, hosted by the State of Qatar, cast a spotlight on successful regional experiences in developing mental health services at a time when the Eastern Mediterranean Region faces mounting challenges stemming from conflicts and humanitarian crises.

Regional Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the Eastern Mediterranean, Dr. Hanan H. Balkhy, underscored that the region, comprising 22 countries with a population of more than 750 million, witnesses the world's largest concentration of armed conflicts and displacement, with nearly 110 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, while 57 percent of the world's refugees originate from the region.

Over 28 million people require mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services, yet the mental health workforce stands at just 4.7 per 100,000 population, compared with the global average of 13.5, she explained.