Press Release: Ghana Somubi Dwumadie Closes Out with A Conference to Celebrate Successes and Deliberate on Way Forward
Participants of closing conference in a group photo
Accra, Ghana – 12 September 2024
Ghana Somubi Dwumadie (Ghana Participation Programme) is coming to an end on 30th September 2024. The programme which commenced in March 2020 in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, has since reached 155,536 people directly with activities that engage, empower, and improve the wellbeing, social and economic outcomes, and rights of people with disabilities and mental health conditions between January 2020 and August 2024.
From 2020-2024, we implemented three successful grant rounds which includes 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 to promote user-led approaches towards mental health and disability inclusion (2022-2023), working with a total of 21 grassroots, local, women’s rights, and disabled people’s organisations. Some other achievements are that, we have written 14 research papers with 9 already published in academic journals, trained 423 healthcare workers, assisted 261 metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies to mainstream disability activities into their workplans and have had their capacity built on progress reporting the 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.
As the end of the programme beckons, we have converged state and non-state actors for one final activity, our closing conference. This event serves as a platform to deliberate on how the programme has shaped policy and impacted the mental health and disability landscape in Ghana, and how to sustain gains made, and to disseminate evidence generated to drive enhancement of the rights and wellbeing of people with disabilities, including people with mental health conditions. Finally, the conference will celebrate the collaborative and collective achievements from the programme with all our stakeholders.
Sharing her reflections and thoughts, Lyla Adwan-Kamara, Team Leader of Ghana Somubi Dwumadie, said “in March 2020, we began our 4-year journey simultaneously with COVID-19 pandemic. While the atmosphere then was one of uncertainty, we collaborated with partners to support organisations and self-help groups to overcome some of the COVID-related challenges faced by people with disabilities and mental health conditions.” She added that “as sad as I am that we must close this chapter, I have greatly appreciated sharing the path of learning with our partners, staff, grantees, our donor UKAid, our government partners and all other stakeholders on this remarkable journey. I am encouraged that each one of us will build on the lessons learned and continue supporting people with disabilities and mental health conditions to thrive.”
The closing conference was held at Fiesta Royale Hotel in Dzorwulu, Accra.
About the Programme
Ghana Somubi Dwumadie (Ghana Participation Programme) originally began as a four-year disability programme in Ghana, with a specific focus on mental health in March 2020. Funded with UK aid from the UK government, the programme was implemented by a consortium led by Options Consultancy Services and consisted of BasicNeeds-Ghana, King’s College London, Sightsavers and Tropical Health. In March 2024, the programme was extended for six more months to end in September 2024.
Over the period, the programme has focused on four key areas, namely:
Promoting stronger policies and systems that respect the rights of people with disabilities, including people with mental health disabilities;
Scaling up high-quality and accessible mental health services;
Reducing stigma and discrimination against people with disabilities, including mental health disabilities; and
Generating evidence to inform policy and practice on the effectiveness of disability and mental health programmes and interventions.
Media Contact
For further information, please contact:
Dorcas Mensah
Communications Manager, Ghana Somubi Dwumadie
055 829 5768 | d.mensah@ghanasomubi.com
Michael Tetteh Doku
Communications Officer, Ghana Somubi Dwumadie
054 629 7991 | m.doku@ghanasomubi.com