Across the world, the mental health and wellbeing of children is becoming one of the defining public health challenges of our time.
According to the World Health Organization, one in seven young people aged 10–19 experiences a mental health condition, yet the majority do not receive the support they need.
In the UK, the UK Government reports that 1 in 5 children aged 8–16 now have a probable mental health disorder, a figure that has risen sharply since the pandemic.
The WHISKids programme, led by the World Health Innovation Summit, is designed to promote mental health, resilience, and wellbeing for children and young people worldwide through community-based approaches, prevention strategies, and social prescribing.
Rather than focusing solely on illness, WHISKids supports:
• Physical activity and nature engagement • Arts and creativity programmes • Community connection • Digital wellbeing education • Social prescribing for young people
Evidence shows that early intervention delivers enormous economic benefits. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development estimates that mental health conditions cost the global economy more than $1 trillion each year in lost productivity.
Investing early in children’s wellbeing is therefore not only a social imperative — it is an economic opportunity.
As Gareth Presch, Founder and CEO of WHIS, explains:
“If we want healthier societies and stronger economies, we must start with our children. WHISKids is about empowering young people to understand and manage their own health and wellbeing from the earliest stages of life.”
The World Health Innovation Summit provides the platform for bringing together educators, clinicians, policymakers, innovators, and communities to create scalable solutions that can support children everywhere.
Because prevention begins early.
Our Programs & Impact
WHISKids — Promoting mental health and wellbeing for children and young people worldwide.