An advocacy group calling itself the Mental Health Alliance has called on the government to make mental health investment a priority in the country.
According to the group prioritizing mental health will facilitate the Mental Health Authority to effectively operate. Mentally challenged individuals are either left to struggle with their complications when even early detected until it becomes extremely difficult to cater for such persons, an unfortunate situation that can be easily avoided.
Early detection and treatment of persons mentally challenged have higher chances of success in full recovery, however the country’s treatment of such persons is rather not encouraging leading to the increase in mentally ill persons on the streets.
According to the advocacy group, the undue delays of the Mental Health Act 2012, Act 846 implementation is very worrying. The group expressed the struggles of these mentally challenged persons hence the need to pay attention to these individuals.
The advocacy group or Alliance urged governments to establish the mental health review tribunal, regional visiting committees, and the inclusion of mental health in the National Health Insurance Scheme.
“Our beloved country Ghana spends just 1.4% of total government health expenditure on mental health, and so the burden of mental ill health continues to grow, with serious consequences for the country’s economic and social development, and the health and wellbeing of its people. The group said in a statement.
