The Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, has reiterated the government’s commitment in repositioning mental health care in the country.
According to him, the government has put in place measures including the decentralisation of mental health care to improve accessibility and improve care and services.
“In the past, mental health care was rendered in few centres or institutions and the ministry embarked on an aggressive decentralisation…Now there is at least an office for mental health and the Act portrays the government’s commitment to reposition mental health services in the country,” he said.
Mr. Agyeman-Manu said this in a speech read on his behalf at a seminar to mark the 2022 Mental Health Week Campaign, in Accra.
The seminar, organised by the Mental Health Authority (MHA) on the theme, “Make Mental Health and Wellbeing for all a Global Priority”, engaged mental health practitioners, academic representatives, and the public on the topic, “10 Years Post the Mental Health Act: Achievement, Drawbacks and Lessons Learnt and Projecting into the Future.”
The sector minister disclosed that the government has in the past four years embarked on reviewing policies to ensure the incorporation of mental health services at health facilities across the country.
“The ministry has defined and developed Universal Health Coverage (UHC) roadmap with active inclusion of mental health services,” he said.
He further noted that the Non-Communicable Disease Policy, launched a few months ago, clearly articulates mental health services.
“It has five main objectives which are in line with what we want to see in mental health, namely; reduce exposure to risk factors, effective continuation of care, early detection in primary, secondary and tertiary facilities, strengthen the health systems of the country, sustainable financing and multi-sectoral collaboration,” he added.
Mr. Agyeman-Manu therefore urged the MHA to take advantage of the policy and join the ministry in its implementation to help reposition mental health services by addressing the challenges in financing mental health commodities, infrastructure and human resource capacity building.
In his welcome address, Director of Administration, MHA, Victus Kpesese, said the Authority has launched a toll free number to increase the public’s access to health professionals at the Authority.
He indicated that after 10 years of the passage of the Act 846, there was the need for stakeholders to put in place enough and appropriate sustainable financing mechanisms for all activities that will be required for enhanced mental health in the country.
“Moving forward, it was appropriate for all, including the government, legislators, and employers to think globally and act locally about mental health by addressing the challenges of mental health in Ghana.
“There is the need to confront boldly what has worked, is working and needs improvement in our collective strategy to redefine the improvement of mental health in Ghana,” he added.
Four psychiatrists who manage mental health system, presented and led discussions on the history, achievement, drawbacks, lessons learnt and the needed transformational strategies.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri