Press Release: World Mental Health Day 2023
Accra, Ghana – 10 October 2023
As Ghana readies to mark World Mental Health Day on October 10th, Ghana Somubi Dwumadie stands united with local partners in highlighting this year's theme: ‘Mental health is a universal human right.’
Ghana Somubi Dwumadie is dedicated to empowering people with disabilities across Ghana and has achieved significant milestones. Notably, we worked with the Mental Health Authority to inaugurate and train the Regional Mental Health Visiting Committees in 5 regions, and the Mental Health Review Tribunal in 3 regions, as well as developing their operating manual. Both of these are critical human rights functions. We are also producing evidence for scale up of our exciting pilot of district mental healthcare plans.
"Empowering individuals with disabilities is not just our mission; it's our commitment to justice, dignity, and equality. Together, we strive to make 'mental health is a universal human right' a reality for all." Lyla Adwan-Kamara, Team Leader, Ghana Somubi Dwumadie
On World Mental Health Day, Ghana Somubi Dwumadie reaffirms its commitment to championing the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities, including their mental health. We invite local partners, government, civil society organisations, and all to join us in this endeavour.
Together, we can forge a society where mental health is universally recognised as a fundamental human right, accessible to all, leaving no one behind.
For more information about Ghana Somubi Dwumadie and our ongoing initiatives, please visit ghanasomubi.org
About Ghana Somubi Dwumadie:
Ghana Somubi Dwumadie (Ghana Participation Programme) is a four-year disability programme in Ghana, with a specific focus on mental health. This programme is funded with UK aid from the UK government. The programme is run by an Options’ led consortium, which also consists of BasicNeeds-Ghana, Kings College London, Sightsavers International and Tropical Health, and focuses on four key areas:
· 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
· Generating evidence to inform policy and practice on the effectiveness of disability and mental health programmes and interventions
Contact information
For further information, please contact:
Lyla Adwan-Kamara, Team Leader; 0543443755; l.adwan-kamara@ghanasomubi.com
