The Mental Health Authority, in collaboration with Basic Needs Ghana and Star Ghana has proposed the formation of a media Coalition to champion the cause of mental health delivery in the country.
The group will be called the Media Coalition for Mental Health Reform. CEO of the Mental Health Authority Dr. Akwesi Osei said the media can lead behaviourial change with regard to mental health issues.
He said this in Accra, at a media engagement where a survey conducted by Basic Needs Ghana, a Mental Health, NGO revealed a 97 per cent funding gap for Community Based Mental Health Services
The survey, which was conducted in 2018 focused on 15 districts, in five regions.They are the Northern, Brong Ahafo, Greater Accra and the Upper East and Upper West regions.It emerged that with the 3 per cent government funding to mental health services, 89 percent of that amount is spent on emoluments.
Communications Officer for Basic Needs Ghana, Fred Nantogmah highlighted key findings from the survey.
“We are 97% short of what is needed and only have 3% of available resources. Out of this we have gaps of 78% in capacity building,96% in logistics, 88% gaps in transport, 96 % gaps in office equipment and 80% gaps in medival supplies”
CEO of the Mental Health Authority Dr. Akwesi Osei said just as the media Coalition against galamsey yielded results, the creation a media Coalition for mental health reform will also yield results.
“we are going to create a media Coalition and let me provide the name, a Media coalition for Mental Health Reforms. This is where we can engage in ongoing seminars and fora with you. The media coalition for mental health reforms will work”
Head of Radio News at GBC, Teye Kitcher asked the authority to focus its attention on the management of media houses in its quest to create the Coalition
“We need to get the media owners and editors to buy into what you want to do so it becomes a policy of the media house”
The survey was conducted with funding from Star Ghana.
Story by Nathaniel Nartey.
