Welcome to the 21st WCP Virtual Congress Program Scheduling

People with psychosocial disabilities are often discriminated against and experience violations of their human rights. Poor quality is a feature of many mental health services, where people with psychosocial disabilities are frequently exposed to inhuman treatments and have no right to make their own decisions. The organizations of people with psychosocial disabilities and civil society organizations promoting these persons’ rights are either non-existent or lack the power to make a difference. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities challenges this situation and requires a shift in the treatment of person with (psychosocial) disabilities from a medical or charity perspective to a rights-based approach, ensuring that persons with (psychosocial) disabilities have access to and can participate in all the decisions that affect their lives. In line with these principles, the World Health Organization has developed the QualityRights (QR) initiative, which applies the framework of the UN CRPD to promote the rights of people with psychosocial disabilities across the world. Currently, there is a growing interest in the QR initiative, and the WHO is implementing it in different countries. This session will provide information on the implementation of the QualityRights initiative in different countries, focusing on the results achieved in Ghana, Kenya, Armenia, and Lebanon. A diverse pool of stakeholders (health professionals, service users, health policy-makers) will present their perspectives on the initiative’s results in their communities.