Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Severe mental disorders in the community
February 24, 2026
The Hamdard Force members in the districts of Haripur and Kohat are helping to identify people with mental health needs, offer basic psychosocial support, and refer them to the MHPSS service. The specialist mental health services in the districts are limited to tertiary care hospitals that are not easily accessible and are costly in the private sector.
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Baltistan: Severe mental disorders in the community
February 17, 2026
The community members trained as Hamdard Force in Baltistan have been identifying people suffering from significant mental disorders for years. Despite ongoing connectivity challenges, our clinical psychologists continue to provide remote assessments, sometimes through the Hamdard Force when direct contact isn’t always possible. From there, our teams collaborate to develop practical strategies that help connect service users with the right support and services they need.
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National Research Agenda for Mental Health
February 10, 2026
The Mental Health Strategic Planning and Coordination Unit has identified research gaps in mental health as a key thematic area that needs attention. To address this, the Ministry has established a Technical Working Group as a dedicated advisory body. The TWG will provide expert guidance on strengthening the national mental health research ecosystem by defining key strategies for the next five years.
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Baltistan: Pilot implementation of Hamdard Force
February 3, 2026
The pilot implementation of Hamdard Force in Baltistan represents a significant milestone in expanding mental health services to remote and underserved communities. This initiative focuses on training community mental health workers to provide basic psychosocial support, identify individuals with mental health needs, and facilitate referrals to appropriate services.
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Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Pilot implementation of Hamdard Force
January 27, 2026
To integrate mental health services in community settings for promoting accessible, acceptable and scalable mental healthcare, Hamdard Force intervention is being piloted in two districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In collaboration with the Department of Health, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a total of 396 members have been registered and trained as Hamdard Force to identify people with psychosocial needs, provide basic psychosocial support, and refer to the MHPSS services
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Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Integrating mental health into primary healthcare
January 20, 2026
The mental health services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are scarce and inequitably distributed, with nearly 50 psychiatrists for a population of over 40 million. Most of the services are limited to tertiary care psychiatric facilities. The MHPSS needs are compounded by challenges related to conflict, internal displacement, climate-change, and economic crisis.
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Mental Health Strategic Planning & Coordination Unit Health Section Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives