The 2025 recipient of the Leadership Excellence Award for Iraq is Darya Rostam Ahmed.

In Iraq, courageous leadership is transforming mental health care in some of the most challenging contexts. Where obstacles are immense, Darya Rostam Ahmed turns innovation into lifelines.

He developed Iraq’s first Kurdish-language AI chatbot for mental health, providing psychoeducation, screening, and triage in a culturally resonant way. He built an electronic MHPSS protocol to streamline emergency response, trained digital clinicians, and addressed misdiagnosis with AI-supported decision tools.

Through a homegrown foundation, his innovations are moving from pilot projects to national implementation, bridging gaps between NGOs, universities, and frontline communities.

Darya Rostam Ahmed exemplifies practical and compassionate leadership, demonstrating meaningful impact on mental health care across Iraq.

Congratulations to Darya Rostam Ahmed.