Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives
Third National MHPSS Coordination Meeting
April 30, 2026
The third National MHPSS Coordination Meeting was held in Islamabad on 28th April 2026 to share updates on MHPSS pilot implementation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Baltistan, and discuss plans for scaling up services. Chaired by Dr Shabana Haider, Member Health & Population, Planning Commission, stakeholders commended the systematic approach and recommended quarterly national coordination meetings and provincial-level steering of MHPSS services.
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District Haripur: Refresher Training
April 24, 2026
To integrate mental healthcare in primary care, 36 physicians in Haripur were trained to manage common mental disorders. After 6 months of remote supervision, a 3-day refresher workshop (21st–23rd April 2026) was held to reinforce clinical skills. The training is supported by BMZ through GIZ and International Medical Corps in Pakistan.
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Gaps Analysis: Mental Health Legislation
April 17, 2026
Pakistan's mental health legislation, rooted in the 2001 Mental Health Ordinance, predates the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006) and lacks full alignment with rights-based frameworks. Following WHO–OHCHR guidance, a gap analysis identified five major domains — institutional, capacity, resources, legal, and cross-cutting challenges — explaining why legislative provisions have not translated into practice. A digital assessment tool based on these findings has been developed and will be shared with provincial governments for review to ensure reforms are contextually informed and practically achievable.
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The mhGAP refresher training in Kohat
April 10, 2026
A 3-day mhGAP refresher training was held in Kohat (April 6-8, 2026) for primary care physicians to strengthen mental health service delivery. Supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit and International Medical Corps, the training reinforced clinical skills, improved adherence to mhGAP guidelines, and enhanced coordination among healthcare providers.' Despite challenges like workload and time constraints, the workshop helped strengthen referral pathways and sustain quality MHPSS services in the district.
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Extension of Letter of Intent between GIZ and MoPD&SI
April 3, 2026
The Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives set up a Mental Health, Strategic Planning and Coordination Unit (MHSP&C Unit) on 14th April, 2025, with the support of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and their partner International Medical Corps in Pakistan. Since then, the MHSP&C Unit has provided technical support to health departments of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Baltistan to implement MHPSS Services.
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Round Table on Mental Health Legislative Reforms – Part II
March 30, 2026
The national roundtable on mental health legislation focussed on reviewing the status of mental health legislations and identify practical pathways for implementation. The discussion highlighted key gaps between legislative intent and on-ground realities, including weak enforcement, limitations in rights-based appraoch, limited institutional mechanisms, resource constraints, and insufficient capacity for implementation and monitoring.
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Mental Health Strategic Planning & Coordination Unit Health Section Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives