And we honoured one of the world’s foremost experts
(INL Photo by Creative Eye Limited)
Professor Anil Thapliyal
Auckland, December 1, 2024
It was a privilege to be invited to speak on the state of Mental Health in New Zealand by 2049 (25 years from now) at the Annual Indian Newslink Business Awards dinner in Auckland, New Zealand, on Monday, November 25th, 2024.
My talk was anchored on three key pillars: 1. Prevalence 2. Improving timely access and 3. Changing modes of communication (speaking the consumer’s language).
Who says Mental Health conversations are boring? It was a fantastic evening for the mental health discourse to be amongst the thought-provoking conversations in essential areas as diverse as 1. Politics of the future, 2. Local government, 3. The future of the dairy industry, 4. The state of small business and manufacturing sector in 2049 and 5. Human resources.
It was a big surprise and an absolute honour to be conferred a Commemoration Award for “creating awareness and digital solutions in the mental health sector worldwide” by none other than Christopher Luxon, Prime Minister of New Zealand and Hon Chris Hipkins, Leader of the Opposition party in New Zealand Parliament. I am speechless.
I wish to take this opportunity to say a big thanks to tall New Zealand community leaders such as Venkat Raman, Jacob Mannothra, Sir Anand Satyanand, Melissa Lee, Brooke van Velden, Simeon Brown, who collectively make New Zealand one of the most amazing countries on the planet earth to live in. Venkat, your leadership in fearless journalism is the stuff of legends. You are, without a doubt, that rare breed of honest journalists that role models what good likes like and fills me with hope.
Professor Anil Thapliyal is the Executive Director of eMental Health International Collaborative, a global body that connects and connects with governments, Mental Health service and advice providers and other stakeholders. He was a recipient of the Indian Newslink Special Commemoration Award marking the 25th Anniversary of Indian Newslink and the 15th Edition of the Indian Newslink Business Awards on November 25, 2024. Professor Thapliyal, who migrated to New Zealand in 1986, has been a reader and supporter of Indian Newslink since its launch.
He sent us the following LinkedIn post.
Global impact of eMHIC
The pace of high-impact activities globally for the eMental Health International Collaborative (eMHIC) in 2024 has been refreshingly energising and positive, fuelled by the knowledge that the mental health burden continues to outpace the services available in every country.
(Photo Supplied)
In the past month alone, eMHIC has had the privilege of participating in a retreat hosted by the office of the Deputy Secretary General at the United Nations on ”Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) in Humanitarian Settings.”
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has topped the agenda, with eMHIC hosting Digital Mental Health (DMH) Roundtables in Brisbane and Adelaide, Australia, as well as in Wellington (New Zealand), all focused on Digital Mental Health Strategy & Implementation and the Role of AI in MH. This eMHIC delegation included the experts Katherine (Kathy) Hay, Chief Executive and President of Kids Help Phone, Canada and Andrew Greenshaw from the University of Alberta.
Experts honoured
It was wonderful to see Taimi Allan, South Australia Mental Health Commissioner and noted lived experience leader, honoured at the South Australia Parliament House on 13 November 2024 for her outstanding inclusive, visionary leadership and contributions to the development of the digital mental health domain in South Australia.
Ivan Frkovic, Mental Health Commissioner from the Queensland Mental Health Commission, described the Brisbane Roundtable as a pivotal moment that, in his view, will greatly assist in advancing the digital mental health agenda in Queensland, Australia.
In New Zealand, it was a great honour for the eMHIC delegation to meet with the Minister for Mental Health, Matt Doocey and hear his vision of improving access and systems navigation.
It was inspiring to note how his Ministry intends to build on the existing DMH foundation and get that process right by design; he is holding a DMH Summit in NZ Parliament on 10 December 2024.
World-leading innovation can come from any place, be it a country, city, university, or community, big or small. It was inspiring to hear from Professor Joseph Lane, Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Waikato about their decision to implement a digital-first curriculum for the proposed new medical school. This is what bold and visionary leadership looks like in practice.
A Complex Puzzle
DMH is a complex jigsaw puzzle, comprising numerous subdomains led by remarkable leaders from the United Nations, medical schools, and federal and state governments, all contributing significantly to the deliberate development of the DMH domain.
Now is the time to double down on our collective conviction in the power of collaboration, drawing strength and inspiration from the exceptional members of our global collaborative community.
The Maori proverb aptly sums up my thoughts: Ēhara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari kē he toa takitini: “Our strength is not that of a single leader but that of many of us as a collective.”
