Mental Health, Finally Seen | NCD Frontliners Episode 1
In the first episode of NCD Frontliners, Dr. Saunthari Somasundaram, President of the National Cancer Society Malaysia, speaks with Puan Anita Abu Bakar, president of MIASA Malaysia, about why mental health is finally gaining visibility within the global NCD agenda. Drawing on her own lived experience and advocacy in Malaysia, Anita discusses the urgent need for inclusion, community-based care, and real leadership ahead of the 2025 UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health.
Key Themes:
Mental health in NCD policy
Lived experience as leadership
Breaking stigma and silence
Community-led care
Funding, equity and accountability
“Nothing about us, without us”
00:00 Introduction to NCD Frontliners
02:45 Mental health finally recognized in NCD policy
06:15 What leadership in mental health means
07:07 Power of lived experience in advocacy
10:00 Personal stories and policy change
15:02 Why advocacy starts with knowledge
17:05 Integrating mental health within NCD care
21:15 Gaps in primary care and early detection
27:02 Inclusion in policymaking: lived experience matters
31:02 Closing message: “Nothing about us without us”
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