Chee Ng is the Professor and Healthscope Chair of Psychiatry at The Melbourne Clinic and The University of Melbourne. He is also Director of WHO Collaborating Centre in Mental Health at St Vincent’s Melbourne. Chee has considerable research experience in mood and anxiety disorders, psychopharmacology, schizophrenia, old age, and cross cultural psychiatry. He has published over 250 original articles in peer-reviewed journals and more than 25 book chapters, and is the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Asia-Pacific Psychiatry Journal. He previously led the Asia-Pacific Community Mental Health Development Project involving 18 Asia-Pacific countries. He also served as international mental health consultant for WHO, the Commonwealth of Nations and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). He is currently an Executive Committee Member of the APEC Mental Health Digital Hub and President-Elect of the Pacific Rim College of Psychiatrists.

APEC

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC) is a regional inter-governmental economic organization of 21 Pacific Rim member economies* that aims to promote sustainable growth, free trade and economic integration. APEC is home to around 2.8 billion people from highly diverse cultures who represent approximately 57% of world GDP and the world’s three largest economies. APEC members deal with important new challenges to the region’s economic well-being, including disaster resilience, pandemics, climate change and terrorism. APEC committees and working groups provide strategic policy recommendations to APEC Economic Leaders (Heads of State) and Ministers who meet annually to set the overarching goals and initiatives.

* APEC economies include Australia; Brunei Darussalam; Canada; Chile; China; Hong Kong, China; Indonesia; Japan; Republic of Korea; Malaysia; Mexico; New Zealand; Papua New Guinea; Peru; rhe Philippines; the Russian Federation; Singapore; Chinese Taipei; Thailand; the United States; and Vietnam.

APEC Digital Hub for Mental Health

The APEC Digital Hub for Mental Health (Digital Hub) is the coordinating centre for APEC’s work in mental health, as set out in the APEC Roadmap to Promote Mental Wellness in a Healthy Asia Pacific. The Digital Hub’s mission is to strengthen the mental health and well-being of individuals and communities across the Asia-Pacific in support of sustainable economic growth.

The Digital Hub has been working to advance several key initiatives within priority Focus Areas [1].  In addition, the Digital Hub has also been working to expand its network of government, public, and private sector partners to share, develop, scale up and evaluate innovative evidence- and practice-based programs for mental health. The Digital Hub is hosted in Canada at the University of British Columbia (UBC), in collaboration with the University of Alberta (UA) and the Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT).  Core partners across the Asia-Pacific region, including The University of Melbourne, support and contribute to the activities of the Digital Hub.

[1] Digital Hub Focus Areas were identified through a Strategic Needs Assessment undertaken by member economies and consist of: 1. Vulnerable communities and children; 2. Indigenous communities; 3. Integration with primary care and community settings; 4. Workplace wellness and resilience; 5. Advocacy and public awareness; 6. Disaster resilience and trauma, and; 7. Data collection and standardization.