Written by Yves Miel Zuniga, Policy & Advocacy Advisor at United for Global Mental Health.
On June 27, 2024, the Global Fund Advocates Network Asia-Pacific (GFAN AP), the Seven Alliance, and United for Global Mental Health kicked off a three-part webinar series to put a spotlight on a neglected need in the Asia-Pacific region among people living with HIV and/or TB and key populations—mental health. GFAN AP’s Rachel Ong acknowledged everyone as the session brought together experts and civil society partners affected by these conditions, fostering a rich dialogue on the very often complex interplay between mental health and HIV, TB, and malaria. This was followed by a second part of the series on September 4, 2024 that brought together partners to learn more of country realities and implementation, as well as the donor perspective of support towards mental health programming.
Understanding the intersection and bringing the issue closer to the region
One of the most compelling aspects discussed was how mental health issues often go hand-in-hand with HIV and TB, establishing their bidirectional relationship, as underscored by Yves Miel Zuniga of United for Global Mental Health. The stigma, social isolation, and anxiety associated with HIV, TB, and/or malaria can exacerbate mental health problems, creating a vicious cycle that can be challenging to break.
To give a voice and a face to these issues, Attakorn Somwaeng of Service Workers in Group Foundation (SWING) narrated the current stigma and discrimination faced by sex workers in Thailand, which remains a significant barrier to seeking mental health support, especially at the height of COVID-19. He emphasized that sex workers require mental health services that are friendly, accessible, and informal. Echoing Attakorn’s observations, participants have acknowledged how mental health has been often sidelined in terms of country-level interventions for different key populations. Hyeyoung Lim of the Global Fund has also demonstrated why mental health is a priority in the Global Fund’s five-year strategy and how country partners can leverage this opportunity to translate it into action at the national level.
Mental health integration journey: voices from the community and reflections from funders
While the first webinar focused on the “what,” the second webinar, held on September 4, 2024, focused on the “how” by sharing stories from national partners and funders. Bringing his perspectives from Cambodia, Sok Chamreun Choub of the Khmer HIV/AIDS NGO Alliance (Khana) discussed the added value of having a regional collaborative framework from the government, CSOs, and other actors aimed at integrating culturally appropriate mental health services into TB care. Through a USAID grant, his community in Cambodia is working on making this happen alongside partners from Indonesia and the Philippines. Meanwhile, Nguyen Minh Trang of Supporting Community Development Initiatives (SCDI) showcased the success stories behind building capacity and developing community-based mental health interventions for young people who use drugs in Vietnam. Both partners stressed the necessity of putting people and communities at the centre of interventions, which will appeal to donors and funders. In this space, however, data remains a significant setback, slowing down the progress of mental health integration.
Adeline Lautissier of Expertise France, representing the donor sector, added to these observations, noting that mental health remains neglected and underexplored, owing in part to a lack of comprehensive data. Nonetheless, she stated that there are various ways through L’Initiative to address mental health needs in the region, such as including mental health in the L’Initiative call for projects on health systems strengthening and incorporating it into the country’s request for technical support, as long as it is linked to the three diseases (HIV, TB, and malaria) and Global Fund programs.
The time is now
The past two webinars underscored sufficiently the urgency to respond to the mental health needs of people living with, at risk, or affected by HIV, TB, and malaria, as well as key populations. The webinar series also tackled a myriad of challenges that confront our community partners: inadequate financing for mental health services, the lack of professionals capable of extending mental health support, and the perpetuation of stigma and discrimination. Despite these setbacks, there is still hope, and these conversations are drawing more attention to the long-overdue prioritization of mental health by various actors at global, regional, and national levels.
We are grateful to our speakers, participants, and the wider community for their contributions to this dialogue. Together, we can break down barriers, reduce stigma, and build more supportive and inclusive community systems for health in which mental health care is available and accessible to those in need.
Join us for the upcoming final webinar session as we delve deeper into practical solutions for addressing the mental health needs of various communities in the Asia-Pacific region.