Wales’s innovative public health approach received international recognition at a major World Health Organisation meeting this week.
The Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Sarah Murphy spoke at the WHO Regions for Health Network Annual Meeting in St Pölten, in Austria yesterday.
She showcased how Wales is addressing health inequalities through the new, ambitious 10-year Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, which puts early intervention and prevention at the heart of transforming mental healthcare services.
The Minister said:
“Sharing Wales’s experience on the global stage demonstrates how smaller nations can lead innovation in public health. By learning from other European countries, we can deliver better health and wellbeing outcomes for our populations.
“Today, I have been outlining how our new mental health strategy aims to provide more joined-up services, connected to the kinds of support people really need. Support that really helps address the root causes of mental distress and poor mental health.”
The strategy signals the development of same-day, open access mental health services across Wales. This builds on the success of the NHS Wales 111 press 2 service, which provides support for people with urgent mental health needs 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
As part of the changes to mental healthcare in Wales, people will increasingly be able to access support when and where they need it. Services will also connect individuals to help based on the root causes of mental distress, such as debt support, housing assistance, employment guidance or counselling.
The WHO meeting brought together political leaders and health experts from across 44 Regions for Health of 26 WHO European countries. They shared solutions on healthy ageing, prevention, integrated care, and digital health transformation.
Interactive sessions and peer-to-peer exchanges enabled regions to learn from Wales’ experience. The meeting strengthened regional voices in international health policy.
The approaches discussed will help regions across Europe share ideas and deliver better health and wellbeing outcomes for their populations.
