IMHA was thrilled to lead a pivotal conversation titled “Empowering Youth Mental Well-Being through Collaborative Funding & Partnerships: Driving Scalable, Sustainable Impact” at the AVPN South Asia Summit 2024, highlighting the critical role of funding and partnerships in advancing youth mental health. Our Executive Director, Karan Malik, moderated a discussion featuring Hitesh Sanwal (Youth For Mental Health), Priti Sridhar (Mariwala Health Initiative), Swarnlata Mahilkar (EMpower—The Emerging Markets Foundation), and Vishal Chowla (Roundglass Foundation). Together, they explored the urgent need for philanthropy to prioritise youth mental health, addressed key barriers to funding, and highlighted how collaborative partnerships can help overcome these challenges.

Key Takeaways:

🔹it is essential to center lived experience in program design and implementation.
🔹 Embedding mental health in cross-sectoral initiatives can amplify impact.
🔹 Strengthening care systems through capacity building and community empowerment is essential.