GENEVA — The World Health Organization has recognized its Step-by-Step digital self-help programme as a promising innovation for mental health support in humanitarian settings, officials said.
The recognition came during the World Bank Group’s biennial Fragility Forum in Washington, DC, on or around June 17, 2026. WHO, in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization and Lebanon’s National Mental Health Programme, showcased the programme at the event, which brought together more than 1,500 representatives from governments, international organizations and civil society.
Step-by-Step is a free digital tool designed to help people manage symptoms of depression and anxiety. Developed by WHO with partners including Lebanon’s National Mental Health Programme, it uses a picture-based story format to guide users through evidence-based techniques. Participants complete five modules, supported by weekly contacts of about 15 minutes each from trained non-specialist helpers, such as community health workers.
The World Bank Group selected Step-by-Step from among more than 50 innovations reviewed ahead of the forum. WHO demonstrated it alongside innovations from Stanford University and Google.
Clinical trials in Lebanon involving nearly 1,250 participants, including Lebanese and Syrian refugees, showed significant reductions in depression, anxiety and stress symptoms, as well as improved daily functioning, according to WHO. Nearly half of Lebanese participants and more than one-third of Syrian participants reported reductions in depressive symptoms of more than 50 percent, compared to about 14 percent in a control group.
The programme is already in use nationwide in Lebanon and Thailand as part of national mental health systems. In India, the nongovernmental organization Kaya Guides has adapted it for delivery through a popular messaging app. Thousands of people have received support through these implementations, WHO said.
The forum coincided with the launch of a new WHO implementation guide on psychological self-help interventions, featuring Step-by-Step and another tool, Doing What Matters in Times of Stress. The guide aims to assist governments, health workers and organizations in scaling such support in low-resource and crisis-affected areas.
“Step-by-Step may offer a cost-saving response to depression in humanitarian emergencies in low- and middle-income countries,” according to cost-effectiveness analyses cited by WHO.
The content is freely available on the WHO website for adaptation by organizations and countries. No further details on immediate expansion plans were released. WHO continues to promote scalable mental health interventions amid growing needs in fragile settings.
