New Delhi: UNICEF, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), State Health Department of Gujarat and The George Institute for Global Health, convened a multi-partner consultation on mental health and well-being for youths and adolescents in Gujarat on Wednesday.

The two-day consultation underscored the urgent need to address stigma as a key barrier preventing adolescents from accessing mental health services. The consultation included senior policy-makers from the MoHFW, Department of Health Services, Gujarat Government, State Mental Health Authority, Government of Gujarat, and technical experts from The George Institute of Global Health and UNICEF. An interactive youth panel discussion was moderated by Zafrin Chowdhury, Chief of Communication, Advocacy and Partnerships at UNICEF.

The panel included UNICEF youth advocates Gauranshi Sharma and Unnathi Surana, along with young facilitators from Gujarat, Heet Doshi and Yaman Mahadev Dave. Narayan Gaonkar, Chief (a.i), UNICEF Gujarat, and Syed Hubbe Ali, Health Specialist, UNICEF India Country Office, also participated in the session.

Zoya Ali Rizvi, Deputy Commissioner for Adolescent Health at MoHFW, emphasised the Government's ongoing efforts, stating, "The Government of India is undertaking sustained efforts to promote holistic adolescent health and well-being, including mental health, through flagship programmes such as the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) and the Ayushman Bharat School Health and Wellness Programme (AB-SHWP). We are confident that the youth consultations will further strengthen outreach and provide meaningful support to India's children and adolescents."

The Government of India has built a strong policy and programmatic foundation to address components affecting adolescent mental health, including stigma, low awareness and help-seeking behaviour.

Source: ANI - May 06,2026