We are committed as a Mental Health and Development Advocacy organisation, to see to it that Government passes the Legislative Instrument on the mental health Act which will make its implementation effective. By way of committing resources for the mental healthcare services in the country as the L.I would have a mental health fund readily available for such efforts?
We also want to see that, there is a total closure of all witches camps in the country to end violations of human rights of persons with mental illnesses and vulnerable populations in general. Economic Empowerment of persons with mental illnesses and epilepsy and other vulnerable populations will also help to reduce stigma and discrimination.
As a mental health and development advocacy organization, we are working closely with prayer camps to end the dehumanizing conditions that Persons with mental illness or epilepsy are often subjected to. In this process, payer camps handlers and traditional healers have their capacities built by BasicNeeds-Ghana and they are now making referrals of mental health conditions brought to their attention to the various psychiatric units for further examination and treatment.
Timeframe and/or implementation plan: Passage of the Legislative Instrument on the mental health Act by December, 2018.This act when passage should also include an indication of the source of funding to the mental health fund. Total closure of Witches and Prayer camps (that violates the rights of persons with mental illnesses) in the Country, by December, 2018.Governmnet commitment to increasing budgetary allocations to vulnerable groups through the local assemblies for their economic empowerment activities by March, 2019.Activities that will be undertaken to achieve this include: Engagement with various duty bearers including the Parliamentary select Committee on health of the parliament of Ghana on the need for the passage of the LI on the mental health act, the Ministry of Finance, Local assemblies, economic empowerment trainings to Vulnerable populations etc.