The four-year Ghana Somubi Dwumadie (Ghana Participation Programme), a disability rights advocacy initiative with a particular focus on mental health conditions, is set to conclude in September 2024. The programme, a collaboration among four organisations – Sightsavers, King’s College London, BasicNeeds-Ghana, and Tropical Health, was funded by UK Aid from the UK government.
Over the past four years, Ghana Somubi Dwumadie has made significant strides in its key areas of focus:
*Promoting stronger policies and systems that respect the rights of people with disabilities, including those with mental health conditions.
*Scaling up high-quality and accessible mental health services.
*Reducing stigma and discrimination against people with disabilities, including those with mental health conditions.
*Generating evidence to inform policy and practice on the effectiveness of disability and mental health programmes and interventions.
The programme’s notable achievements include the collaboration with the Mental Health Authority (MHA) to establish a Mental Health Review Tribunal and Regional Mental Health Visiting Committees in five pilot regions (Ashanti, Central, Greater Accra, Upper East, and Western). The consortium facilitated the nomination, appointment, inauguration, and training of committee members, as well as the development of manuals to guide their duties. The programme supported the first Review Tribunal sitting in Accra and the first Visiting Committee visit in the Central Region, crucial structures for promoting and protecting the human rights of individuals with mental health conditions.
Ghana Somubi Dwumadie also played a key role in implementing district mental healthcare plans in Asunafo North, Bongo, and Anloga districts, aiming to improve access to mental healthcare services in Ghana and provide evidence for scaling up these services nationwide. The programme trained 84 participants from 15 health facilities and 87 Community Health Volunteers to support the detection and management of mental health conditions, leading to an increase in knowledge and confidence among healthcare workers and promoting task-sharing and referrals.
In partnership with the MHA, the consortium made significant progress in addressing access to psychotropic medicines. They held a series of stakeholder discussions and workshops to assess supply challenges, implement changes, and develop recommendations for addressing these issues.
The programme also emphasised the importance of integrating psychotropic medicines into the general health system, recognizing the need for monitoring, evaluation, forecasting, and quantification tools. The Mental Health Authority is currently implementing steps to improve access to these medicines.
In collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection (MoGCSP) and the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD), Ghana Somubi Dwumadie revised the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) Guidelines. This revision followed an evidence-based and user-led review of the existing guidelines, which identified operational challenges in equitably distributing funds. The consortium conducted 16 regional roadshows to secure buy-in for the revised DACF guidelines.
Furthermore, the consortium conducted, published, and disseminated a number of important studies to inform policy and practice, including:
* Mental health and disability research priorities and capacity needs in Ghana: findings from a rapid review and research priority ranking survey (published in the Global Health Action Journal).
* Mental health and disability research in Ghana: a rapid review (published in the Pan African Medical Journal).
* A situation analysis of mental health services in five districts in Ghana (published in PLOS One: Towards implementation of context-specific integrated district mental healthcare plans).
* Prevalence of probable mental, neurological and substance use conditions and case detection at primary healthcare facilities across three districts in Ghana: findings from a cross-sectional health facility survey (published in BMC Psychiatry).
As the Ghana Somubi Dwumadie programme concludes, its impactful achievements and robust evidence base will continue to serve as valuable resources for shaping policies and improving the lives of individuals with disabilities in Ghana.
SOURCE: DisabilityNewsGH.com