AHLA President Assoc. Prof. Tuyen Van Duong joined experts, policymakers, academics, healthcare professionals, and community leaders from across APEC member economies to discuss strategies to strengthen mental health literacy and promote positive social change through effective leadership and communication.
Organized by Thailand's Department of Mental Health under the Ministry of Public Health and supported by the APEC Health Working Group, the workshop aimed to enhance regional capacity in mental health literacy, foster collaboration among stakeholders, and support the development of community-based approaches to improving mental health awareness and reducing stigma.
Throughout the two-day program, participants explored key topics including mental health literacy frameworks, leadership development, public engagement strategies, and cross-sector collaboration. Interactive sessions provided opportunities to exchange experiences, identify best practices, and develop practical approaches for strengthening mental health promotion within diverse cultural and social contexts across the Asia-Pacific region.
Assoc. Prof. Tuyen Van Duong highlighted the important role of health literacy in addressing mental health challenges and emphasized the need for collaborative regional efforts to improve access to reliable information, enhance community resilience, and reduce mental health stigma. He also emphasized that if we could have an APEC survey on mental health literacy across economies and settings, that would be very useful. It would provide a more comprehensive picture and could support future interventions
AHLA's participation in this APEC initiative reflects the Association's continued commitment to advancing health literacy and supporting evidence-based approaches to public health across Asia and the Pacific. The workshop also created valuable opportunities for future collaboration among organizations and experts working in health literacy, mental health promotion, and community empowerment.
As mental health becomes an increasingly important public health priority globally, AHLA remains dedicated to contributing to regional initiatives that strengthen literacy, empower communities, and promote equitable access to health information and services.
Posted by Sri Handayani