EURegionsWeek 2026 Policy Debate – “Advancing Equitable Mental Health Across Europe: Regional Action for Stronger, More Resilient Systems”

Speakers’ Highlights

• Dr Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat (Director of the Division of Country Health Policies and Systems, WHO Regional Office for Europe): “Mental health resilience is critical to societal resilience, and this message must be heard not only from WHO, but also from politicians, employers and educators. We must also ensure that mental health policies respond to gender inequalities and the specific needs of girls and women.”

• Dorota Tomalak (Deputy Head of Unit, Secretariat of the Commission for Natural Resources – NAT, European Committee of the Regions): “Mental health is not the poor cousin of regular health. It is part of our being, of our well-being, and it has to be addressed as such. We need to bring this awareness to the political level and ensure that mental health remains a priority, including when decisions are made on future European funding.”

• Iñaki Gutierrez Ibarluzea (Director of Health Research, Innovation and Evaluation at the Basque Government’s Ministry of Health and Chair of EUREGHA): “It is not the healthcare system alone that will solve our mental health challenges, but a societal commitment. For that, we need consensus at regional level on our priorities and how to address them collectively. The real challenge is translating evidence into concrete action that responds to the needs of our communities.”

• Charlotte Marchandise (Executive Director, European Public Health Association – EUPHA): “How can I feel good if I have no housing? If my school has no roof? If nobody listens to me, or if I feel discriminated against and worthless in society? This is why we need Health in All Policies. It is also about using our budgets better, working across sectors and involving communities meaningfully in the decisions that affect them.”

• Giorgio Martinelli (Italian National Health Equity Programme 2021–2027 – PNES): “Equity does not mean offering everyone the same services, but ensuring that each region has the support and tools they need to address their specific challenges. Through personalised therapeutic and rehabilitation pathways, we can go beyond clinical care, supporting people’s autonomy, social inclusion and participation in their communities.”

• Mara Barcella (Director of the Mental Health Department, ASL Asti, Piemonte, Italy): “We hope that the ASTI experience can contribute to a wider European discussion on how to make youth mental healthcare more effective, inclusive and connected to the communities where young people live.”

• Marie-Laure Robberechts (International Policy Team, Flemish Government Department of Care): “Effective collaboration requires more than good intentions. It depends on trust, shared objectives, continuous dialogue, institutional support and adequate resources. By strengthening collaboration and creating greater policy coherence, we can build a more integrated approach to promoting mental health and well-being for all citizens.”

• Michele Calabrò (Executive Director of EUREGHA): “With the launch of EUREGHA’s new living collection of 22 regional and local mental health practices, we aim to go beyond knowledge-sharing, highlighting common challenges, innovative approaches and lessons learned to support more effective and equitable mental health policies across Europe.”