WHO is organizing a 1-day workshop in Chisinau to build capacity in organizing and implementing evidence-based anti-stigma activities among key mental health stakeholders in the Republic of Moldova. The event is being co-produced by WHO/Europe, the WHO Country Office in the Republic of Moldova and national lived-experience experts.
Part of the European Union-funded project “Health Resilience in the Eastern Partnership”, the workshop will bring together people with lived experience of mental health conditions, health professionals and representatives from the government, civil society and advocacy groups.
Mosaic: a tool for ending stigma and discrimination
Stigma and discrimination are among the greatest barriers to mental health and well-being across the WHO European Region. Many people living with mental health conditions find it difficult to live fulfilling lives because of both obvious and subtle forms of prejudice and discrimination. As a result, they can have trouble accessing health care, getting and keeping jobs, getting an education and even building a family.
To help countries address these challenges, WHO/Europe developed the Mosaic toolkit to end stigma and discrimination in mental health. It offers practical, evidence-based guidance for reducing stigma, focusing on 3 key principles:
- leadership and co-leadership by people with lived experience
- social contact and dialogue between people with and without lived experience
- inclusive partnerships across sectors and communities.
Workshop objectives
Co-led by national and WHO experts, the workshop will guide participants through discussions and group work on how to effectively address mental health stigma and discrimination through the principles of the Mosaic toolkit.
Participants will:
- deepen their understanding of stigma and discrimination and how these impact mental health;
- learn how to collaborate equitably with people with lived experience;
- explore how to use social contact strategies to reduce stigma and discrimination;
- identify key stakeholders and allies for future work in the Republic of Moldova; and
- develop and plan evidence-based anti-stigma activities to be implemented in 2026.
A regional effort
The “Health Resilience in the Eastern Partnership” project is a multiyear partnership funded by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Enlargement and the Eastern Neighbourhood. This workshop is aligned with the mental health pillar of the project, which focuses on ensuring that mental health support is accessible, equitable and person-centred. Reducing stigma and discrimination is one of the main objectives of this collaboration.
Beyond reducing stigma and discrimination, the project is an important step towards ensuring that people with lived experience of mental health conditions are recognized as active partners and experts in shaping recovery-oriented, person-centred and human rights-based mental health policies and services.