The WPA Secretary for Education suggests that an action plan should:

·         Find ways to assist local actors in identifying and solving their own problems through integral programmes that focus mainly on existing programs to promote health, prevent disease and reduce risk.

·         Stimulate the development of mental health and hygiene programmes.

·         Include research findings on health equity and other ethical issues, and stress the important role these concerns play as cultural forces..

·         Stimulate and motivate the humanization of hospitals and health centres.

·         Motivate and strengthen outpatient and community services, using social networks.

·         Stimulate and motivate optimal use of the newest therapeutic approaches and techniques, because of the advantages they can offer.

·         Pay attention to psychosocial risk factors, such as nicotine poisoning of children, drug abuse, criminal behaviour, domestic violence, poverty, unemployment, malnutrition, early and risky sexual activity, accidents, illiteracy, etc.

·         Organize Fellowship Program to support the participation of highly promising early career psychiatrists from across the world. 

Increasing efforts to reduce the stigma of mental illness and reinforcing legislation protecting human rights are specific requirements to achieve a higher quality psychiatric practice in the care of people in Latin America, as well as in the rest of the world. 

— The author is WPA Secretary for Education