Event highlights
Reducing stigma and discrimination remains one of the key challenges to improving mental health and well-being. In Cyprus, efforts to address these barriers took a further step forward on 12 October 2026, when representatives of public institutions, mental health professionals, civil society organizations and people with lived experience gathered in Nicosia for a seminar on practical approaches to building a more inclusive society.
Organized by the WHO Country Office in Cyprus, WHO/Europe’s Mental Health and Well-being team, and the Mental Health Services of the Ministry of Health of Cyprus, the event took place shortly after World Mental Health Day 2026, marking this year’s theme “Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change”.
Putting lived experience at the centre
Opening the event, Cyprus’s Minister of Health, Neophytos Charalambides, highlighted the importance of tackling stigma as part of national mental health policy and protecting the rights of people with mental health conditions.
“The involvement of people who have personally experienced mental health challenges is crucial”, he said.
Irshad Ali Shaikh, WHO Special Representative and Head of the WHO Country Office in Cyprus, welcomed Cyprus’s National Mental Health Strategy 2025–2028 as an important step towards improving mental health care. “When people with lived experience are actively involved, mental health systems become more person-centred, rights-based and responsive to people’s needs,” he said.
Introducing the WHO Mosaic toolkit
The seminar also marked the launch of the Greek translation of the “WHO Mosaic toolkit to end stigma and discrimination in mental health”, a practical resource designed to support countries in designing, implementing and evaluating initiatives to reduce mental health stigma and discrimination.
The toolkit provides practical guidance for developing anti-stigma initiatives and is built around 3 key principles:
- meaningful involvement of people with lived experience in the design and leadership of activities;
- promoting social contact to challenge stereotypes and increase understanding; and
- fostering collaboration across public institutions, health services, civil society organizations and local communities.
Participants explored how these principles could be adapted and applied in Cyprus, highlighting the importance of clear objectives, community engagement and sustained partnerships.
Learning from examples
The seminar highlighted a range of approaches to reducing mental health stigma and promoting inclusion across different settings.
Presentations showed how people with lived experience can play a leading role in challenging stereotypes by sharing their stories and engaging directly with communities. Participants also learned about community-based approaches that improve access to mental health support by responding to local needs and strengthening links between health services and the people they serve.
Examples from Cyprus demonstrated how creative platforms can open conversations about mental health, encourage dialogue and help challenge negative perceptions. Speakers also showcased initiatives involving community support, advocacy, volunteering and arts-based activities, including efforts focused on the rights and well-being of children, young people and their families.
The experiences shared pointed to a common lesson: reducing stigma requires more than raising awareness. Creating opportunities for meaningful social contact, amplifying the voices of people with lived experience and fostering community participation can help build understanding, challenge discrimination and promote inclusion.
As Cyprus continues its efforts to build a more inclusive and people-centred approach to mental health, initiatives such as this seminar help translate commitment into action by bringing together policy-makers, professionals, civil society and people with lived experience.
The event was funded through WHO/Europe's contribution agreement with the European Commission, “Addressing mental health challenges in the European Union, Iceland and Norway”.