LEADERSHIP AND CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOP ON COMMUNITY-BASED MENTAL HEALTH
11-15 DECEMBER 2023 Tokyo, Japan

Report

Summary

The Regional Framework for the Future of Mental Health in the Western Pacific (2023-2030) aims to achieve optimal mental health for all through social solidarity and a transformative environment. This Framework calls on WHO Member States and mental health actors to refocus the mental health agenda, transform care and support systems, and integrate mental health in community settings.
Following a Core Expert Meeting in March 2023, a leadership workshop was held in December 2023 in Tokyo to share knowledge on community-based mental health care. Co-organized with WHO-WPRO and the National Institutional of Mental Health, National Centre of Neurology and Psychiatry, Japan, the workshop featured technical presentations, panel discussions, and field visits, focusing on the Framework’s strategies.
Participants identified strategic focus areas, such as integrating mental health into primary care and building capacity for future professionals.

Capacity-building includes:

• Task sharing and task shifting.
• Enhancing specialist workforce efficiency.
• Leveraging digital mental health innovations.
• Expanding health professionals’ community roles. Promoting mental health is a shared responsibility across sectors, vital for individual and societal well-being.