On World Mental Health Day, October 10th, the World Health Organization will, for the first time ever, host a global online advocacy event on mental health. At this event—the Big Event for Mental Health—world leaders, mental health experts and celebrity guests will join WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, to tell the world what we can all do to improve our mental health and how we can help make sure that quality mental health care is available to everyone who needs it.

During the event, which will be streamed live on major social media channels, you will:

• learn how WHO, together with their partners, is helping improve the mental health of people in countries throughout the world;
• hear from national and international leaders about why they are making mental health a priority;
• hear first-hand why internationally-renowned artists have become mental health advocates and listen to their advice for those who are struggling; and
• listen to critically-acclaimed musicians perform some of their most popular music.

In the lead-up to World Mental Health Day and the Big Event, the WHO invites you to join the campaign, sharing messages, creating posts showing how you invest in your own mental health, and asking your questions of special guests through live Q and A sessions on social media.

How to watch the Big Event

Tune in from one of WHO’s social media channels:

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and TikTok channels

Start time: 10:00 New York, 16:00 Geneva, 19:30 New Delhi                          

The Event is expected to last three hours.

Host and participants

Award-winning journalist, Femi Oke, will host the event. She will be joined by mental health advocates and performers including:

• Cynthia Germanotta: President and Co-Founder (with her daughter Lady Gaga) of Born This Way Foundation and WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Mental Health
• Alisson Becker: goalkeeper for Liverpool Football Club and the Brazilian National Football Team and WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Health Promotion
• Natália Loewe Becker: medical doctor and WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Health Promotion
• Talinda Bennington: widow of Linkin Park lead vocalist Chester Bennington and founding partner of the mental health advocacy organization 320 Changes Direction
• Klas Bergling: father of DJ, musician and producer Tim Bergling, aka Avicii, and Co-founder of the Tim Bergling Foundation.
• Korede Bello: Nigerian singer and songwriter
• Jonny Benjamin: mental health campaigner, film producer and public speaker

Also participating will be national and international leaders who have championed mental health in their own countries:

• Her Majesty Queen Mathilde of the Belgians
• Epsy Campbell Barr, First Vice-President of Costa Rica
• Sigrid Kaag, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, the Netherlands
• António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General
• Peter Sands: Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
• Muhammad Ali Pate: Global Director, Health, Nutrition and Population, World Bank