On World Mental Health Day (WMHD) this year, an unprecedented number of organisations and stakeholders came forth to highlight the need for increased mental health awareness, support, and financing. Across the world, new reports, funding mechanisms, and campaigns were launched to catalyse change at all levels of society.

This year’s World Mental Health Day (WMHD) was observed with the theme “Make mental health and well-being for all a global priority”. This was an opportunity to highlight a pressing matter that is often neglected.

Mental health is a crucial issue for the well-being of an individual, however, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 in every 8 people, or 970 million people around the world have mental health disorders.

As medical advances continue to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside entrenched and serious challenges, from the cost of living crisis to protracted conflicts to climate change; other priorities can be neglected in the face of such large issues.

That is why, World Mental Health Day on 10th October is such an appropriate opportunity to highlight the importance of mental health as an issue; and why this year’s theme, Making Mental Health & Well-Being for All a Global Priority, is so timely.

The Global Mental Health Action Network (GMHAN) hosted a webinar bringing together the WHO, UNICEF and WMHD founders, The World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) to learn about their plans for WMHD and discuss how others could get involved nationally and globally on this important occasion.

There has been great leaps and strides towards investments in mental health in Kenya in the last four years, and the Coalition Action for Preventative Mental Health Kenya (CAPMHK) has been leading the fight for decriminalization of suicide throughout the country through public awareness campaigns and community-based advocacy on social media, webinars and media.

At the 50th MHForAll webinar, a series of experts discussed suicide prevention and decriminalisation ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day, reflecting on key learnings, and recommendations that can help drive legislation reform at a national level.