30–31 March 2027 · Kigali, Rwanda · Hosted by the Government of Rwanda
7th Global Ministerial Mental Health Summit
Transforming systems, expanding access, changing lives. Health ministers and partners from around the world meet in Kigali, the first summit of its kind on the African continent.
—days to go
A first for Africa
After London, Amsterdam, Paris, Rome, Buenos Aires and Doha.
Why it matters
One in eight people lives with a mental health condition, yet most never receive the care they need. The summit brings ministers, experts and people with lived experience together to close that gap.
About the summit
“We believe mental health and well-being are fundamental to the prosperity and resilience of individuals, families and communities, and Rwanda’s experience has shown what is possible when government, communities and partners work together.”
The 2027 theme
“Mental Health for All” asks every government the same question: what will it take for anyone, anywhere, to get the care they need?
01
Governance, legislation and sustainable domestic financing that place mental health at the core of national health systems, not at their margins.
02
Bringing quality care closer to people through primary care integration, community health systems, task sharing and peer support.
03
Measuring success in people: dignity, recovery and inclusion, with those who have lived experience shaping policy as equal partners.
The case for action
Mental health conditions are among the leading causes of disability worldwide, yet they receive a small share of health budgets.
1bn+
people worldwide live with a mental health condition
Source: WHO, 2025
727k
lives lost to suicide every year, many of them young people
Source: WHO, 2021 data
US$1tn
in productivity lost each year to depression and anxiety alone
Source: WHO
The host country’s treatment gap
Rwanda’s nationwide survey shows that access, not awareness alone, is the challenge, and why bringing care closer to communities matters for every health system.
of Rwandans live with a mental disorder
20.5%
know mental health services exist
61.7%
have ever used those services
5.3%
On the agenda
Priorities raised by governments, the WHO 2030 mental health targets, and civil society and people with lived experience across Africa.
Remove legal barriers, including the criminalisation of suicide, and make prevention a core component of national and regional strategies, guided by the WHO LIVE LIFE framework.
Increase domestic investment and report progress against measurable mental health indicators, so that declarations become delivery.
Prioritise community-based care, integration into primary health care and peer support systems, the first point of contact for most people in distress.
Recognise people with lived experience as equal partners in shaping policy, services and the mechanisms that hold them to account.
Align laws and services with the UN Human Rights Council resolution on mental health and human rights and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Key dates
1 October 2025
Rwanda announced as host in Doha
12 August 2026
Dates and theme confirmed
Now
Expressions of interest
Open nowLate 2026
Programme, venue and accreditation
30 March 2027
Summit opens in Kigali
Since 2018
Each summit has moved mental health further up the political agenda. Kigali is the first host on the African continent.
1st summit
2018
London
United Kingdom
“Equality for Mental Health”: the first meeting of international ministers focused solely on mental health.
Declaration2nd summit
2019
Amsterdam
Netherlands
“Mind the Mind Now”: mental health and psychosocial support made integral to every crisis response.
Declaration3rd summit
2021
Paris
France
“Mind Our Rights, Now!”: rights-based, quality care systems in the shadow of the pandemic.
Summit report4th summit
2022
Rome
Italy
“Skills, Rights, Care”: a community-focused approach, building on Italy’s pioneering deinstitutionalisation.
Chair report5th summit
2023
Buenos Aires
Argentina
“Mental Health in All Policies”: the first summit held in Latin America.
News (ES)6th summit
2025
Doha
Qatar
“Investment, Innovation and Digital Solutions”: the first summit in the Middle East.
Summit website7th summit
2027
Kigali
Rwanda
“Mental Health for All”: the first summit on the African continent.
Host country
Three decades after the Genocide against the Tutsi, Rwanda has rebuilt its health system with mental health at its heart: decentralised to every district, integrated into primary care and rooted in communities.
Kigali is one of Africa’s safest, cleanest and best-connected capitals, and a city built for convening.
Who takes part
Health, finance, education and social-protection leaders setting national direction.
UN agencies, regional bodies and the officials who turn commitments into plans.
Evidence on what works, what it costs and how to scale it.
Psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, community health workers and counsellors.
Funders and implementers investing in sustainable, country-led systems.
Advocates and people with lived experience, partners in every conversation.
The generation most affected, and most determined to change the story.
Journalists committed to responsible, stigma-free reporting on mental health.
Latest
Ministry of Health, Rwanda ·
Kigali will welcome ministers, policymakers, researchers and practitioners on 30–31 March 2027 under the theme “Mental Health for All: Transforming Systems, Expanding Access, Changing Lives.”
Read on moh.gov.rwGlobal Mental Health Action Network ·
Civil society proposes four priorities for ministries of health: suicide prevention, accountability, community systems and lived experience leadership.
Read on gmhan.orgThe New Times ·
Rwanda takes up the summit following the conclusion of the sixth gathering in Doha, Qatar.
Read on newtimes.co.rwRegister your interest to attend, partner, host a side event or cover the summit. We will be in touch as places and accreditation open.
30–31 March 2027 · Kigali, Rwanda
