Putting communities at the center of the mental health agenda in Ghana

Dambai, Ghana - When Kwabena Asare*, 32 from Bodada in Ghana’s Oti region developed a mental health condition in 2018, he sought help from the health centre and received medication and support, which is helping him to recover.

However, he is concerned that the lack of support from family and friends is undermining his recovery efforts.

Teacher’s mental health support gives pupil new reason to hope

Accra, Ghana – When Cynthia Adjei* had an episode of an acute mental health condition in her junior high school in 2021, she was greeted with derision. This led to a deep depression that threatened her future education as she couldn’t bear to face her fellow pupils.

“I never wanted to go back to school because I felt that everyone was staring at me and making comments as I passed by,” the now 18-year-old teen recalls. “All I could imagine was people talking about me,  and laughing.”

Tackling high risk of mental health disorders among survivors of Appiatse tragedy

Accra, Ghana – A tragic explosion that levelled the entire village of Appiatse in Ghana’s Western region in January 2022, taking the life of Grace Essien’s* husband, literally halted life as they knew it for her and their three children.

Traumatized and grieving, the 30-year-old recalls feeling like her world had ended. “That was one of the most difficult times in my life. I was so devastated that, even after a few weeks, hearing any sounds at all was just driving me crazy.” 

Transforming Ghana’s health sector through quality leadership

In Ghana, WHO and the Ministry of Health, with support from the UK Department of Health and Social Care through the health workforce programme are leveraging the programme to build the necessary leadership and management competencies to drive its reform agenda and effectively address the rapidly evolving health sector needs through the Leadership for Health Transformation programme.