News & Events

As part of its newly-launched “The Future of Health” conversation series, the St. Luke’s Medical Center College of Medicine-William H. Quasha Memorial, through its new Planetary and Global Health Program, will be holding the ninth episode entitled “The Future of Mental Health” on October 6, 2021, Wednesday, 4:00-5:30 pm Manila time.

A long-neglected public health problem, mental health has in recent years been increasingly recognized as a pressing urgent issue. Mental health problems such as depression and anxiety can lead to a wide range of effects on individuals and families – from reduced productivity to physical illness to suicide. The drivers of mental health challenges span from the more familiar such as poverty, discrimination, and workplace-related stressors to the emerging ones such as social media, climate change, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, investments in mental health interventions remain limited, and actions beyond the health sector are needed to address the root causes of mental stress. How can we create a society that promotes the health not only of our physical bodies but of our minds and hearts too?

This new series, which adopts an innovative conversation format, convenes health leaders from the Philippines and abroad to not only examine the current health situation but also envision the future of health in the post-coronavirus era, with the hope of advancing health policy discourse in the Philippines and globally through a futures-oriented discussion.

For this webinar, health leaders from various sectors will share their diagnosis as well as their prognosis of the state of mental health in the country and across the world. Panelists include:

• Dr. Monina Garduño-Cruz, Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, St. Luke’s Medical Center College of Medicine
• Dr. Emma Lawrance, Mental Health Innovations Fellow, Imperial College London
• Ms. Alyannah Lagasca, National Chairperson, Youth for Mental Health Coalition
• Dr. Regina Hechanova-Alampay, Professor of Psychology, Ateneo de Manila University and Chief of Party, USAID RenewHealth Project
• Mr. Emil Dy, Chief Commercial Officer, MedGrocer
• Dr. Florence Baingana, Regional Advisor, Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Regional Office for Africa, World Health Organization

The conversation will be moderated by Dr. Renzo Guinto, Associate Professor of the Practice of Global Public Health and Inaugural Director of the Planetary and Global Health Program of the St. Luke’s Medical Center College of Medicine-William H. Quasha Memorial.

The event is open to the public. Register at  https://bit.ly/stlukesmentalhealth.

The webinar series is co-presented by the following organizations: Department of Health; Rappler; Harvard Club of the Philippines; Zuellig Family Foundation; University of Asia and the Pacific School of Law and Governance; Development Academy of the Philippines Graduate School of Public and Development Management; Management Association of the Philippines; Philippine Futures Thinking Society; Philippine Society for Public Health Physicians; Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations; Health Justice; Healthy Philippines Alliance; Center for Engaged Foresight; PH Lab; Likhaan Center for Women’s Health Inc.; Asian Center for Drug Policy; Health Care Without Harm; Civika Asian Development Academy; Southeast Asia Climate and Health Alliance; and Asian Medical Students Association-Philippines.