Wales showcases health leadership on global stage

Wales’ 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 on Thursday, 27 November.

She showcased how Wales is addressing health inequalities through the new 10-year Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, which centres early intervention and prevention in changes to 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 NHS Wales 111 press 2 service, which provides support for people with urgent mental health needs 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The changes to mental healthcare in Wales are focused on enabling people to access support whenever and wherever 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 approaches discussed are intended to help regions across Europe share ideas and deliver better health and wellbeing outcomes for their populations.