Regional Director Saima Wazed conferred Mental Health Award 2025
NEPAL HEALTH NEWS: Bangkok, Thailand Saima Wazed, Regional Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia, was awarded the Mental Health Award 2025 at the 24th Annual International Mental Health Conference held in Bangkok, Thailand.
The award was presented in recognition of her invaluable contributions and transformative leadership in the field of mental health. According to the award citation, it honors her profound impact in shaping the future of global mental health.
The ceremony took place on the opening day of the annual conference, organized by the Department of Mental Health, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, in collaboration with the Jittavejsart Songkrao Foundation and the Somdet Chaopraya Institute of Psychiatry, at ICONSIAM, Bangkok.
Saima Wazed is internationally respected for her lifelong dedication to mental health and autism. Her visionary work is rooted in human rights, holistic care, and cultural sensitivity. She has received numerous prestigious awards and held key leadership roles within WHO South-East Asia, helping promote academic exchange and enhance Thailand’s role as a global center for mental health research and learning.
In her acceptance speech, Wazed reflected on her journey in the field:
“I started this journey 20 years ago, when the mental health landscape in our region—indeed, around the world—looked very different from what it is today. I’ve been fortunate to work in this field both as a practitioner and a policy specialist. On behalf of everyone I have worked with on this journey, I thank you for this award.”
She praised Thailand’s leadership in prioritizing mental health, saying, “I have seen with great appreciation and admiration all that Thailand has done for mental health.”
Wazed highlighted the strong partnership between WHO and Thailand, mentioning key initiatives such as the International Mental Health Workforce Training Program, the Step-by-Step digital mental health program, the ‘Tor-Tuem-Jai’ platform, the implementation of the LIVE LIFE suicide prevention initiative, and evidence-based parenting programs supported by the LEGO Foundation.
“As WHO’s Regional Director for South-East Asia, my colleagues and I have placed mental health as our top priority for the duration of my term. We look forward to continuing our collaboration and achieving even more together,” she said.
