Seven CSOs awarded COVID-19 grants

A self-help group being presented with a Veronica bucket for handwashing during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

By Ghana Somubi Dwumadie: 23rd October 2020

Ghana Somubi Dwumadie (Ghana Participation Programme) has awarded COVID-19 Psychosocial Resilience Grants to seven civil society organisations (CSOs), to support people with disabilities, people with mental health disabilities, healthcare workers and others

The grants, totalling almost 1.2m Ghana cedis, are funded with UK Aid from the UK government.

The awardees will provide psychosocial support for people with disabilities, including people with mental health disabilities. This is to reduce the negative effects of COVID-19 on their lives.

Healthcare workers, as well as people who have had COVID-19 will also be supported with psychosocial services.

The seven recipient organisations are a selection of organisations of people with disabilities and other CSOs working on disability and mental health in Ghana.

This provision of funding support for disability and mental health is in line with global calls for increased investment in mental health. The need for greater investment in mental health was at the heart of this year’s World Mental Health Day celebrations earlier this month.

People with disabilities, including people with mental health disabilities, are disproportionately impacted by emergencies like COVID-19. Equally, healthcare workers face significant additional stress in their roles. The mental health needs of these groups, as well as survivors of COVID-19, will be addressed by these important new grants.