At the beginning of the month parliamentarians from 8 different Latin American countries – Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay and Uruguay – met to discuss mental health legislation in the region. To jumpstart the meeting, UNITE members Hon. Gisela Scaglia, Hon. María José Plaza, and Hon. Luis Gallo shared their experiences of legislative successes and challenges related to mental health. The parliamentarians from Argentina, Ecuador, and Uruguay, respectively, encouraged parliamentarians not only to share their insights on the matter but also to bring these issues to their respective countries’ legislatures and raise awareness of the need for a comprehensive approach to mental health.

This meeting was the first of a series – “Diálogos de la pospandemia/ Talks in the Post-Pandemic Era”, a cycle of monthly conversations on topics, questions and problems of health legislation specific to the region. In this case, the session focused on legislation related to mental health in Latin America, where the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for a policy reform.