Today is World Mental Health Day 


Today is World Mental Health Day, hosted by the World Federation of Mental Health. 

To help mark the occasion, WHO this year, is raising awareness of what can be done to ensure that people with mental health conditions can continue to live with dignity, through human rights oriented policy and law, training of health professionals, respect for informed consent to treatment, inclusion in decision-making processes, and public information campaigns.

The theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day, is "Dignity in mental health". 

World Mental Health Day, which is supported by the United Nations (UN), is annually held on October 10 to raise public awareness about mental health issues worldwide. 

This event promotes open discussions on illnesses, as well as investments in prevention and treatment services.


Reports say about thousands of people with mental health conditions around the world are deprived of their human rights. They are not only discriminated against, stigmatised and marginalised but are also subject to emotional and physical abuse in both mental health facilities and the community. Poor quality care due to a lack of qualified health professionals and dilapidated facilities leads to further violations.


In Ghana, BasicNeeds-Ghana a Non- Governmental Agency, is calling on government to review the free medical treatment policy in mental health care service by including it in the National Health Insurance Scheme. 

The agency said in a statement that when this is done, very poor persons can be treated free of charge as indigents while allowing for those capable of paying the insurance premium to do so. 

This it said could allow those who need the medicines which are not in hospital pharmacies or cannot afford them to get the medicines from NHIS accredited pharmacies free of charge. 

This is one of the sure ways of getting mental health effectively financed, resourced and integrated into general health services. 

“We particularly call on the National Health Insurance Review Commission to favourably consider this suggestion and include mental health care in the reviewed and amended National Health Insurance Bill.” BasicNeeds-Ghana.


News -desk Report