Background

In Ghana, over 90% of people with mental illness do not receive the necessary treatment, often due to inadequate access to psychotropic medicines. These medicines are crucial for alleviating symptoms, preventing relapses, and improving overall psychosocial functioning. However, the Mental Health Authority (MHA) of Ghana has identified significant barriers to accessing these essential medicines, including erratic supply, uncertain financing, and poor integration into the general healthcare system.

To address these challenges, Ghana Somubi Dwumadie partnered with the MHA to investigate the issues surrounding psychotropic medicine access and explore potential solutions. From September 2020 to May 2023, the partnership reviewed key national documents, held stakeholder discussions, and conducted workshops to assess the situation and develop strategies for improvement. The partnership has also seen the implementation of various strategies to address these barriers.

Description

Join us for a webinar titled "Addressing Key Barriers to Make Psychotropic Medicines Accessible – The Ghana Experience," where we will discuss the critical barriers to accessing psychotropic medicines in Ghana and the strategies being implemented to overcome them. This session will provide insights into the challenges of medicine procurement, supply chain management, and the efforts to integrate mental healthcare into the broader healthcare system.

Moderator: Fidelicia Bakobie, Chief Pharmacist, Mental Health Authority

Speaker: Lesley Robertson - Adjunct Professor at the Department of Psychiatry, University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa)

This webinar was held on 4th September, 2024 at 1:00 PM (UTC)