Vikram Patel has dedicated most of his professional career to improving access to care for people with mental health problems in some of the most resource-constrained regions of the world, including sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and now parts of the United States. During his plenary address at the 2025 SFSP congress, which focused on public mental health, he shared key principles on how mental health systems worldwide should be transformed to ensure they are focused on equity and access to high-quality care for community members in need.