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A four-year disability project: ‘Ghana Somubi Dwumadie,’ with specific focus on improving mental health in Ghana has ended.
Funded by the UKAid, the programme which commenced in March 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, has reached a total of 155,203 people directly with activities that engaged, empowered and improved the wellbeing as well as socio-economic status and rights of people with disabilities (PWDs) and mental health conditions, by the end of August 2024.
Implemented through an Options-led consortium, consisting of Basic Needs-Ghana, Kings College London, Sightsavers International and Tropical Health, the project focused on key areas including promoting stronger policies and systems that respected the rights of people with disabilities focusing on their mental health and scaling up access to services.
It also contributed to reducing stigma and discrimination against PWDs and persons with mental health disabilities, generating evidence to inform policy makers on effectiveness of disability and mental health interventions across the country.
At a closing ceremony in Accra yesterday, which converged state and non-state actors, the Team Leader of ‘Ghana Somubi Dwumadie,’ Lyla Adwan-Kamara, elaborated that in the course of the project implementation, three grants were successfully awarded including the COVID-19 Psychosocial Resilience Grants (2020-2021), the Evidence and Effectiveness Grants for mental health and disability stigma reduction (2021-2023) and the Sustainability and Legacy grants (2022-2023) to promote user-led approaches towards mental health and disability inclusion.
“Additionally, we have written 14 research papers with nine already published in academic journals, trained 423 healthcare workers and assisted 261 metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies to mainstream disability activities into their work plans.
We have built their capacity on progress reporting of implementation of the 2022 disability commitments and together with programme partners, we have piloted district mental healthcare plans in the Bongo, Asunafo North and Anloga districts.”
Ms Adwan-Kamara indicated that with the close of the project, work remained for various civil society organisations (CSOs) to sustain gains made and ensure that PWDs and people with mental health conditions are to reach their full potential.
The Chief Executive of the Mental Health Authority (MHA), Professor Pinaman Appau, speaking on behalf of state actors, lauded the ‘Ghana Somubi Dwumadie’ for being persistent in supporting mental health services across the country leading to the establishment and operationalisation of visiting committees and review tribunal to ensure that the fundamental rights of the mentally-ill were respected and not violated.
Moreover, she said the project had also enabled the implementation of district mental healthcare plans at demonstration sites, trained traditional and faith-based healers on the rights of victims and advocated for the inclusion of mental health disorders under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
Prof. Appau expressed the MHA’s resolved to intensify the fight against stigma and discrimination against PWDs by building knowledge and understanding among Ghanaians to embrace and support such persons to be productive members of our society.
“We will also continue to work tirelessly with other stakeholders to promote the incorporation of mental healthcare in the primary healthcare system and equip health care workers, community leaders, security persons and all others involved in the process of improving the wellbeing of our brothers and sisters all over the country.”
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
