Pakistan, Oct. 10 -- President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif have called for collective action to eliminate stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health, improve access to quality and affordable care, and strengthen community-based services across Pakistan.

In their separate messages on the occasion of World Mental Health Day, observed on October 10, both leaders reaffirmed the importance of mental health as an essential component of public health, human dignity and national development.

Highlighting this year's theme, "Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change," the president and the prime minister stressed the need to listen to people experiencing mental health challenges and incorporate th...