Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck
Distinguished delegates, colleagues, and friends,
Good morning.
We are here because mental health is one of the greatest public health and development challenges of our time. Mental health is central not just to individual wellbeing, but to the stability, peace, and prosperity of our societies.
Today, over 1 billion people worldwide live with a mental health condition. Anxiety and depression being the most common among them. In the South-East Asia Region, 289 million people live with mental, neurological, or substance use conditions. Every year we lose 208,000 lives to suicide.
Most of these conditions begin early: a third before age 14, half before 18. Yet too few of our children get the care they need. The costs are devastating—both human and economic terms. Depression and anxiety alone cost the world 1 trillion US dollars in lost productivity each year.
But there is hope. In 2022, our Ministers adopted the Paro Declaration for universal, people-centered mental health care.
Since then, countries have taken bold steps:
Bhutan and Sri Lanka are expanding community services;
India has launched a nationwide tele-mental health initiative;
Bangladesh and Nepal are advancing WHO’s Special Initiative for Mental Health;
Maldives is strengthening suicide prevention;
Myanmar has reinforced psychosocial support; and
Thailand is pioneering digital tools and workforce development.
These are inspiring actions, yet challenges remain: underfunding, lack of data, gaps in medicines and trained professionals, and poor treatment coverage.
WHO calls for urgent action in four areas:
Expanding community-based, person-centered care.
Ensuring equitable financing.
Advancing rights-based policies and laws.
Investing in the mental health workforce.
Every country can take steps. And every step matters. Because protecting the mental health of children and young people is not just an investment in health—it is an investment in our future.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child reminds us that their rights are our obligations. To neglect them is to fail our collective responsibility.
I congratulate PEMA and my friend Ms Dechen Wangmo for convening this symposium, bringing together stakeholders to accelerate progress and mental health outcomes.
Under the visionary leadership of Her majesty, Bhutan has shown how investing in children and adolescents mental health can transform not only lives but the future of societies.
WHO stands with you.
Together, let us empower minds and build futures.
I thank you.