As concerns over the mental health of children and young people continue to rise worldwide, countries are increasingly recognising the urgent need for stronger, more inclusive mental health systems. In response, the World Health Organization (WHO), along with partner governments, has launched a multi-country initiative aimed at improving mental health services for children and adolescents through shared learning and system-wide analysis.

The initiative, announced in October 2025, brings together governments across regions to exchange knowledge, identify gaps and strengthen community-based mental health services for young people. 

It addresses a long-standing global challenge: despite growing needs, child and adolescent mental health has often remained underfunded and overlooked, with limited specialist providers, inadequate training opportunities and budgets largely focused on adult and specialised care.

Health experts say the lack of reliable data has further compounded the problem. Without a clear understanding of how existing systems function, countries have struggled to design effective and accessible mental health services for children and adolescents.

Building on recently released WHO–UNICEF service guidance on the mental health of children and young people, the initiative promotes a multi-sectoral approach. 

The guidance encourages countries to tailor mental health services to their local contexts, strengthen quality standards and improve coordination between healthcare systems, schools, community services and social support networks.

At the heart of the initiative is a structured knowledge exchange that brings together officials from Ministries of Health, other government departments and WHO teams at country, regional and global levels. 

These exchanges create a platform for countries to share experiences, discuss challenges and identify priority actions for reform. A key focus is ensuring meaningful participation of young people themselves in shaping mental health systems.

However, recent data highlights how far many countries still need to go. According to WHO’s Mental Health Atlas 2024, fewer than half of national governments currently collaborate with service users, including young people, when planning mental health services. Youth engagement has declined since 2020, with participation remaining particularly limited among adolescents.

To support evidence-based decision-making, WHO is helping participating countries collect detailed data on mental health service availability and system performance. This is being done through a newly adapted Child and Adolescent National Systems Assessment Tool, based on the WHO Assessment Instrument for Mental Health Systems. The tool maps mental health policies, services and infrastructure at both national and district levels, while also identifying gaps across health, education and social service sectors.

Importantly, the assessment goes beyond institutional data. 

Young people and their caregivers are actively engaged to better understand real-world care pathways, barriers to access and lived experiences within the mental health system. This approach, experts say, ensures that reforms are grounded in reality rather than theory.

The expected outcome of the initiative is a comprehensive national picture of child and adolescent mental health systems in participating countries. For many, this marks the first time such baseline data has been collected.

Policymakers can then use this information to guide reforms, improve service delivery and make informed decisions about funding and resource allocation.

Health officials believe the initiative could act as a catalyst for long-term change, enabling countries to move from fragmented services to coordinated, youth-friendly mental health systems rooted in community care and prevention.

The project is supported by the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Botnar Foundation and Iconiq. Countries leading the first phase include Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Lesotho, Senegal and Mozambique. 

A second phase is planned to expand participation to additional countries across Africa and other regions.

As mental health challenges among children and young people become increasingly visible, global health leaders say collaboration and shared learning will be critical. 

Strengthening systems today, they argue, is an investment not only in young lives, but in the future health and resilience of societies worldwide.