Health ministers from Commonwealth countries will meet in Geneva later this week to discuss ways to ensure economic and social inclusion of people facing mental health issues.
During the meeting on May 19, the ministers will also recommend strategies to tackle health problems facing the Commonwealth countries individually and collectively.
"Where effective and affordable interventions are available, people with mental health conditions are still being excluded and stigmatised," Commonwealth Secretary General Kamlesh Sharma said in a statement.
"They have been largely excluded from the development agenda in general, which in turn impedes the achievement of national and international development goals," he said.
The health ministers will explore technical and policy options available to Commonwealth nations under the theme 'Mental Health: Towards Economic and Social Inclusion', the statement said.
