Dr Atreyi Ganguli is a distinguished public health expert and policy leader serving as the National Professional Officer for Mental Health and Substance Abuse at the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office for India, New Delhi. In this strategic role she has been at the forefront of shaping and advancing India’s mental health and substance use disorder agenda, working closely with national ministries, state governments, professional bodies, and civil society to strengthen systems, policies and programmes that improve mental well-being and address substance use challenges across the country.

With a strong academic and professional grounding in public health and behavioural sciences, Dr Ganguli brings deep expertise in integrating mental health within broader health systems, prevention of substance misuse, and evidence-based practice. Over the years she has contributed to key national consultations, technical committees and WHO-led initiatives aimed at assessing and scaling up mental health services in India, including rapid assessments and advisory roles alongside the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and partners engaged in national mental health strategy and Tele-MANAS counselling services.

Her work at WHO India involves bridging global best practices with contextualised solutions for India’s diverse and complex health landscape. She has been a resource person and keynote speaker at high-level national and international webinars and forums on youth mental health, stigma reduction, substance abuse prevention and integrated care, engaging academic, clinical and policy audiences.

Under her stewardship, WHO’s engagement on mental health in India has reinforced multisectoral collaboration, strengthened evidence-informed policymaking, and promoted innovative approaches to expand access to quality mental health and substance use services — especially for vulnerable and underserved populations. Her contributions reflect a deep commitment to positioning mental health as an integral part of public health and human development, advancing equitable care, and catalysing sustainable impact at scale.