Making the Invisible Visible in the District Assembly Common Fund

Successful sensitisation of DACF Revised Guidelines 2022 at Ahafo region.

Mental health affects all aspects of life, yet it is a neglected area in disability policy in Ghana. From the programme inception of Ghana Somubi Dwumadie (Ghana Participation Programme) in January 2020 to date there has been significant progress in making what was previously invisible, visible. There was very little conversation around explicit inclusion of people with mental health conditions in wider disability measures. They were neglected and forgotten in many social protection policies and interventions targeted at persons with disability. There are several reasons for this neglect which could be associated with stigma and discrimination, even with the community of disability groups and organisations.

People with mental health conditions were until recently not even consistently seen as targeted recipients of Ghana’s District Assembly Common Fund (Disability Fund component). This was due to the perception that mental health is not considered to be of high importance and is not a priority for policy intervention. This is so, so wrong!

Ghana Somubi Dwumadie has been working with Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, and Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations to provide technical support on a user-led and inclusive approach to the review of the guidelines for the management and disbursement of the District Assembly Common Fund.

Prioritising and focusing on mental health has several advantages and benefits to the social and economic development of any country. We have found out that investing in mental health comes with transformative effects in boosting economic growth and improving the health and wellbeing of its citizens. Investing in people’s mental health has the potential to enhance individual and population health and well-being, protect human rights, and improve economic efficiency.

So, what did we do, as Ghana Somubi Dwumadie? Just as our programme name suggests, we made strong case to justify why mental must be included in an important social intervention policy such as the disability component of the District Assembly Common Fund. Our programme became the bridge in explicitly linking mental health to the disability component of the District Assembly Common Fund. Capacities were built for meaningful and productive engagement. Organisations working with, and for persons with disability were empowered to team up to influence the inclusion of mental health in policy. The wind of policy transformation is now being felt.

The invisible is now visible. The narratives have changed. This is how Ghana Somubi Dwumadie is excitingly making the differences in enabling people with mental health conditions in Ghana to claim their rights. 

You can read the Evidence-Based Review of the District Assembly Common Fund Guidelines here Download as pdf

You can read the Investment Case in Mental Health here Download as pdf