Sourced Consent
Auckland, December 21, 2024
EMental Health expert and global consultant Professor Anil Thapliyal has been invited by the organisers of the ICT World Conference to deliver the Keynote Address at Maastricht, Netherlands next month.
The Conference, under the theme ‘Reimagining Mental Health Care: Leveraging Digital Solutions for Enhanced Access and Outcomes,’ will be held from January 28 to January 30, 2025 at the Maastricht Exhibition & Conference Centre in the Southeastern City of the Netherlands.
According to the promoters, the three-day Conference will bring together more than 10,000 healthcare professionals, policymakers, and innovators from around the globe.
Innovative Digital Solutions
With the Netherlands Ministry of Health, WHO, and other leading organisations shaping the program, this is the event for those committed to transforming healthcare.
Professor Thapliyal, who is the Executive Director of the EMental Health International Collaborative (eMHIC), is regarded as an esteemed leader in digital mental health.
Committed to enhancing global mental health through innovative digital solutions that prioritise the needs of service users, their families and carers.
His philosophy, “If the digital mental health solutions do not work for the people with lived experience, their families and carers, then they do not work at all,’ reflects a user-centric approach that underpins his work.
Under his leadership, the eMHIC has become a premier global think tank within the digital mental health sector, fostering scalable and sustainable digital mental health solutions.
Professor Thapliyal said that he would focus in his keynote address on the dramatic surge in demand for mental health services in recent years.
“This surge has been driven by the evolution of social structures post-Covid-19, economic pressures, and the effects of climate change. This urgent need highlights the pressing necessity to improve timely access to mental health care. Although the integration of digital solutions offers an opportunity for a paradigm shift in mental health service delivery, we often find that these tools are merely supplemented into existing frameworks rather than creating a transformative approach,” he said.
A critical avenue
According to him, despite the awareness of the challenges faced by traditional mental health services, including capacity constraints, workforce burnout, entrenched stigma, low mental health literacy, and geographical barriers, digital mental health solutions stand as a critical avenue to address these issues.
“Certain countries demonstrate exemplary leadership in digital mental health through robust evidence, consumer engagement, and supportive infrastructure, showcasing best practices that can inform the promising way forward,” he said.
Professor Thapliyal said that he looked forward to meeting fellow delegates at the Conference and invited them to establish contact with him.
Highlights of the Year 2024 for eMHIC
The following is the assessment of Professor Thapliyal taken from his LinkedIn Post:
So long you are values-driven, determined and focused, you can be a humble and small organisation and yet be a very High-impact organisation and make a significant difference in this world.
2024 has been a pivotal year for eMental Health International Collaborative (eMHIC).
Undoubtedly, the highlight of this year was the Ninth Digital Mental Health International Congress held in Ottawa, Canada. The collegial and collaborative energy among the decision-makers from 29 countries and key global peak bodies such as the UN, WHO, UNICEF and Wellcome Trust was truly remarkable, all gathered in one place focusing on the Congress theme, ‘Digital Building Capacity: 24/7 Mental Health Support for All.’
As a global peak body in the niche digital mental health (DMH) domain, in 2024, eMHIC has continued to thrive through its rich ecosystem of high-impact global resources and activities – our highly sought-after Think Tank, Roundtables, Brag and Steal sessions, Fireside Chat Webinars, the Global Leadership Council, Knowledge Bank, Newsletters, and Special Interest Groups.
These efforts collectively establish eMHIC as the go-to organisation for governments, lived experience leaders, academia, regulated and unregulated mental health workforce and industry seeking implementation of scalable and sustainable DMH solutions.
This year, we had the honour of collaborating and engaging with various high-profile international initiatives, from a three-day conclave in New York focused on mental health in humanitarian settings, convened by the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations to the UNICEF Expert Advisory Council for Adolescent and Youth Digital Mental Health, the World Health Organisation Mental Health Forum, and the Digital Mental Health Summit at the Grand Hall in the New Zealand Parliament.
Impact of Climate Change
As we look to the future, it is essential to recognise the significant looming impact of climate change on global mental health. This ongoing existential crisis for some communities around the world demands our attention.
Despite the slow but steady progress that we have made in the DMH field this year, I remain hopeful that together, we can establish an even more robust support network that addresses these critical global issues effectively. If you’re passionate about contributing to a better world, contact me directly with your ideas and suggestions at anil@emhicglobal.com.
To those celebrating Christmas, I wish you a joyful and festive holiday season.
For everyone else, I hope you find peace and rest as we approach the new year. Here’s to a successful, productive, and inspiring 2025!
