Technical Assistance for the Assessment of mhGAP Implementation & Climate-Resilient Mental Health Systems in the Philippines

The World Health Organization (WHO) Philippines seeks a qualified institutional partner to provide technical assistance for two complementary workstreams: (1) an implementation gap analysis of the WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP); and (2) a country-level assessment of mental health and climate change in the Philippines.

Mental health conditions remain a major public health concern globally and in the Philippines. The Philippine National Survey on Mental Health and Well-being (NSMHW) 2021 found that approximately one in seven Filipino adults experienced at least one mental health problem during their lifetime. This highlights the continuing need to strengthen access to quality, integrated, and people-centred mental health services, while generating evidence to inform policies and programmes that respond to emerging and evolving mental health challenges.

WHO Philippines continues to support the Department of Health (DOH) in strengthening mental health systems through evidence-informed policies, programmes, and service delivery. A key component of this effort is the implementation of the WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP), which aims to integrate evidence-based mental health services into primary health care. Since its introduction in the Philippines in 2014, mhGAP has been widely adopted and integrated into national mental health initiatives. However, implementation varies across settings due to differences in workforce capacity, governance, availability of medicines, referral mechanisms, financing and monitoring systems. A systematic implementation gap analysis is therefore needed to assess the current status of mhGAP implementation, identify barriers and enabling factors, and generate actionable recommendations to strengthen its scale-up, institutionalization and sustainability within primary health care.

At the same time, climate change is increasingly recognized as an important determinant of mental health. Climate-related hazards and disasters, displacement, loss of livelihoods and prolonged disruptions to communities and essential services can adversely affect mental health and psychosocial well-being, particularly among populations in vulnerable situations. Despite growing recognition of these impacts, evidence on the relationship between climate change and mental health, as well as the preparedness and capacity of health systems to respond to associated mental health needs, remains limited. As part of a regional initiative to strengthen climate-resilient mental health systems in the Western Pacific Region, WHO will support country-level assessment and data collection to inform national policies and programmes and contribute to future regional guidance.

Through an Agreement for Performance of Work (APW), WHO Philippines will engage an institutional partner to undertake these two workstreams. The findings will provide evidence and practical recommendations to support DOH and relevant partners in strengthening mental health services, improving mhGAP implementation, and enhancing the responsiveness and resilience of mental health systems in the context of climate change and disasters.

Instructions for Submission of Proposals

• Proposals must be submitted no later than 18 September 2026, 11PM, GMT +8.
• All submissions should be made through the WHO e‑Tendering Platform (In‑Tend).
• In the event of technical difficulties with uploading, proposals may alternatively be submitted to wproungm@who.int and WPPHLPROCUREMENT@who.int
• When submitting by email, please ensure the following subject lines are used:
  • Technical Proposal – WPRO/DAF/SAO/SUP/P/0009528
  • Financial Proposal – WPRO/DAF/SAO/SUP/P/0009528
  • Note: Technical and Financial Proposals must be sent in separate emails.
• For ease of tracking, always quote the WHO Bid Reference No. "WPRO/DAF/SAO/SUP/P/0009528"  in the subject line of all related correspondence.