First Lady Fazna Ahmed has highlighted the pivotal role of mental health care in fostering a healthy and productive society and stresses the necessity for services to be accessible, affordable, and decentralised. She made the remakes during her speech at the inauguration of the second Psychology Symposium and Exhibition. The event was organised by Villa College to commemorate World Mental Health Day.
During the inaugural ceremony, First Lady Fazna expressed the importance of ensuring that all citizens have access to appropriate mental health care, irrespective of their location or financial capacity. She asserted that the approach ensures every individual's ability to contribute to their communities without being hindered by unaddressed mental health issues.
Additionally, First Lady Fazna advocated for enhanced efforts to identify and address mental health issues through primary healthcare systems and educational institutions. She underscored the importance of addressing mental health concerns to maintain a peaceful, prosperous, and productive community.
Furthermore, First Lady Fazna reminded individuals of their collective responsibility to ensure proper mental health care for all and stated that mental well-being should be based on values of courage and empathy. She further expressed hope that evidence-based treatments would continue to be widely available to those in need.
World Mental Health Day is observed annually on October 10. The theme for this year is Mental health is a universal human right.