Looking back at Ghana Somubi Dwumadie's achievements in advancing mental health and disability rights

As we bid farewell to our UK aid-funded Ghana Somubi Dwumadie (Ghana Participation Programme), we take a moment to reflect on its significant achievements in advancing mental health and disability rights in Ghana.

The challenges and milestones the programme encountered on its journey

The programme began its journey in a challenging context. Despite 20% of the population having some form of disability, 85% to 98% of individuals with mental health conditions lack access to necessary treatment, with some districts facing a 100% treatment gap for some conditions.

Since its launch in 2020, Ghana Somubie Dwumadie successfully raised awareness and access to mental health services, addressing the stigma surrounding disability and mental health and advocating for people’s rights, and having reached more than 155,000 people in the process.

Amid a underinvestment in mental health and disability from global funders and domestically by most governments, the programme’s success demonstrates that that there is an extremely high return on investment for initiatives targeting mental health and disability.

Ghana Somubie Dwumadie and its partners have written 14 papers on the successes and learnings of the work undertaken, nine of which have been published to date.

Another five papers on evaluating the impact of district mental healthcare plans on service delivery, how user-led and policy level approaches complement each other, how to enhance the effectiveness of self help groups, participatory approaches to stigma reduction as well a process evaluation of the programme’s theory of change are currently under peer review.

Key to the programme’s success was its ability to effectively align its policy-level engagement with on-the-ground implementation, which was crucial for overcoming significant service delivery challenges at various levels such as:

• Individual Level: Training community volunteers and inclusion ambassadors to  support people with disabilities and mental health conditions.
• Community Level: Supporting self-help groups for disabled people and providing grants to civil society organisations addressing stigma.
• District Level: Collaborating with the government to support the rollout of District Mental Health Care Plans, enhancing access to services, and training district social welfare officers and planning officers.
• National Level: Working with the Ghana Mental Health Authority to ensure the availability of psychotropic drugs and establish the Mental Health Review Tribunal, safeguarding the rights of people with mental health conditions.

A highlight was the launch of the 2024 Revised Guidelines for Management and Disbursement of the District Assembly Common Fund for Persons with Disabilities by Ghana’s Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Lariba Zuweira Abudu at the recent programme closing event which marked a significant milestone in promoting mental health inclusion within social protection policies.

The guidelines are the result of collective advocacy of organisations of persons with disabilities, civil society groups, and strategic partners, including the UN System as they lay the groundwork for continued efforts to ensure that the rights of individuals with disabilities are upheld and that mental health services are integrated into broader social protection interventions.

Continuing the programme’s legacy

While the programme may be closing, the legacy of its achievements serves as a reminder of the importance of inclusivity, and the ongoing need to advocate for the rights of persons with disabilities and mental health support in Ghana and beyond.

“I am filled with a profound sense of gratitude for our collective success and learning. I cannot proceed without expressing my deepest appreciation to the staff, past and present, and all our partners and stakeholders for your unwavering dedication and hard work which has been the backbone of this programme. I am encouraged that each one of us will build on the lessons learned and continue supporting people with disabilities and mental health conditions to thrive.”, says Programme Director Lyla Adwan-Kamara.

We extend our gratitude to everyone who played a role in this journey and contributed to building a more inclusive and equitable future in Ghana, and remain committed to the principles of inclusion and equity that guided the programme.

We look forward to seeing how the its legacy will continue to drive progress in mental health and disability rights in Ghana.

For more information on the programme and its impact, visit Ghana Somubi Dwumadie.