Dr Gabriel Ivbijaro MBE MBBS, FWACPsych, FRCGP, MMedSci, MA, qualified in Benin City, Nigeria where he specialized in psychiatry and neurology. He subsequently specialized in general practice in the United Kingdom and completed a Masters degree in psychiatry and neurology at the University of Leeds, UK and a Masters degree in leadership at Middlesex University, UK.

As a member of Wonca (World Organization of Family Doctors) Dr Ivbijaro has championed the cause of mental health globally among family doctors by setting up the Wonca Special Interest Group (SIG) in Psychiatry & Neurology in 2001. This international group of Family Doctors worked together to highlight the mental health needs of patients presenting to general practice and, in recognition of the SIG’s work under the leadership of Dr Gabriel Ivbijaro, Wonca awarded it Working Party status and it became the Wonca Working Party on Mental Health in 2006. Since then Dr Ivbijaro has supported primary care globally and worked in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) to produce the influential jointly edited Wonca/WHO document ‘Integrating Mental Health into Primary Care: A Global Perspective.’ This publication has been very important because it has highlighted the role of primary care in addressing the unmet needs of people with mental health problems globally and has provided a framework for the future integration of services with the aim of improving mental health outcomes.

Dr Gabriel Ivbijaro was a member of the WFMH International Experts Forum on Reducing Disparities in Mental Health Services for Ethnic Minorities In December 2008 and has provided technical expertise and support for the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) promotional material for World Mental Health Day 2009, 2010 and 2012. He was elected European Vice President of WFMH in October 2011.

Dr Gabriel Ivbijaro continues to collaborate with other stakeholders to continue the dialogue about well-being and improving the health outcomes of those who suffer from mental illness. In 2008 he contributed to the Mental and Physical Health Platform who produced the Mental and Physical Health Charter and in 2009 and 2010 contributed to the European Commission Thematic Mental Health Conferences on the Prevention of Depression and Suicide and Mental Health in Older People.

Dr Gabriel Ivbijaro is the Editor in Chief of Mental Health in Family Medicine, a journal dedicated to disseminating evidence relevant to primary care mental health in order to improve standards of mental health delivery globally. He regularly presents papers and original thinking on primary care mental health integration at many local and international conferences and has many publications and editorials in peer reviewed journals.

Dr Gabriel Ivbijaro was London Regional GP Advisor for the IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) programme which is making talking therapies more accessible to those who need them in London. He was also the Chair for the NHS London Clinical Expert Panel tasked with providing a new model of care for those that suffer from long term mental health conditions in London and has recently edited a book entitled ‘Companion to Primary Care Mental Health’ published in 2012 to promote access to and the delivery of primary care mental health globally.

Dr Gabriel Ivbijaro is a practising Family Doctor who passionately believes in looking after patients and providing evidence-based interventions with respect and dignity. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners, a Fellow of the West African Postgraduate Medical College, a Member of the World Organization of Family Doctors, a Member of the British Medical Association, an International Member of the American Psychiatric Association, a Life Member of the World Federation of Mental Health and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine. He is the current Chair of Waltham Forest Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) in London, UK which is responsible for commissioning health services for a population of over 250,000.