The high mortality rate among people with mental illness is due to the coexistence of physical health problems such as cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic and infectious diseases and cancer, which are often preventable conditions. People with mental illness have unhealthier lifestyles compared to the general population, which lead to self-neglect, smoking, sedentary behaviour and poor diet. Additionally, people with severe mental illness are twice as likely as those without mental disorders to have been denied medical insurance because of pre-existing conditions. Furthermore, some physical health problems in people with severe mental illness are associated with the use of medicines for the latter. Management of these side effects poses a therapeutic challenge to these people. Mental health policies and research tend to neglect physical health issues, and primary healthcare providers need to be trained to take care of mentally ill people’s physical health.