Matt Hancock calls for world to unite in responding to the challenge of mental health
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock will launch the government’s ambition to put mental health on an equal footing to physical health across the world, at the first ever annual ministerial mental health summit in London on Tuesday 9 October.
Key political figures, innovators, experts, policy-makers and people with lived experience of mental health from around the world will come together at the 2-day summit to agree global action to tackle mental ill-health.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who spearheaded the Heads Together initiative, will join ministers and delegates from more than 50 countries at the summit. Together they will take part in a variety of discussions and expert panels, encouraging them to rethink their current attitudes towards mental health.
The global ministerial mental health summit is hosted by the UK government in partnership with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), with support from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The event will also see the launch of a short film from Time to Change called ‘It’s time to talk (about mental health)’. The film features A-list American actress Glenn Close and contributors from Nigeria, India, Kenya and the UK.
