The 14th Culture and International Mental Health Conference (CIMH 2024)

The 14th Culture and International Mental Health Conference (CIMH 2024), held on Thursday, 12th December 2024, at The Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester, brought together global leaders and experts under the theme of “Mental Health Beyond Borders.” We were deeply honoured to host Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho, Honourable Health Minister Sindh, Pakistan, as the Chief Guest, whose presence was a testament to the importance of international collaboration in addressing mental health challenges.

Prof Nusrat Husain, Professor of Psychiatry and Director Global Mental Health Research, University of Manchester, delivered the welcome address and highlighted the global burden of mental illness and the importance of adopting a life course approach to mental health care. He reinforced the need for international collaboration and 360-degree learning in building equitable and culturally sensitive mental health systems. Session Chairs, Prof. Nasim Chaudhry, CEO PILL, and Prof. Imran Chaudhry, Chairman of Psychiatry at Ziauddin Hospital Karachi, presented the NIHR-funded Moving on ABC and ACROSS projects focusing on cardiac rehabilitation, and depression/anxiety in breast cancer survivors, respectively.

The conference featured an exceptional line-up of speakers including Prof. Vicky Karkou, Prof. Aimee Spector, Dr. Siham Sikander, Prof. Shanaya Rathod, Dr. Ioannis Angelakis, Dr. Alina Haines-Delmont, Elaine Craig, Prof. Linda Gibson, Last Mafuba, and Prof. Parveen Ali. These experts explored global mental health disparities, challenges faced by marginalised communities, dementia care, youth mental health, domestic violence, and the role of cultural adaptation in mental health interventions. The conference also highlighted innovative approaches including arts-based therapies and strategies to improve access to mental health care in underserved regions. The event concluded with an engaging session for poster presentations where the top three participants presented their promising research to the audience.

The discussions throughout the day focused on the need for culturally sensitive, accessible, and equitable mental health care particularly in low-resource settings. We extend our gratitude to all our speakers, participants, and the organising committee for their contributions to making CIMH 2024 a success.