The Chief Executive Officer of the Global Media Foundation, Raphael Godlove Ahenu, has raised serious concern over Ghana’s growing mental health burden, revealing that more than three million citizens are currently living with mild mental health conditions.
He further disclosed that an estimated 600,000 individuals are experiencing severe mental health challenges, describing the figures as a clear indication of a deepening public health issue that requires urgent national attention and policy response.
Mr. Ahenu made these remarks at the close out and learning summit of the Resilient City for Adolescents project held at Fiapre in the Sunyani West Municipality of the Bono Region, where stakeholders gathered to review the outcomes of the initiative and share lessons learned.
He stressed that available research highlights the significant scale of mental health challenges in the country, insisting that mental health must be treated as a national priority rather than a secondary health concern.
According to him, increasing stress levels and socio economic pressures continue to play a major role in driving mental health conditions among the population, particularly among young people and vulnerable groups.
He also noted that many individuals continue to suffer in silence due to stigma, discrimination, and limited access to mental health services, which prevents early diagnosis and treatment.
The Global Media Foundation, in partnership with the Indigenous Women Empowerment Network and Citizens Watch Ghana, implemented the Resilient City for Adolescents project with funding support of £300,000 secured from Fondation Botnar through Ecorys United Kingdom.
The three year initiative formed part of the broader Healthy Cities for Adolescents programme, which aimed to improve adolescent wellbeing in the Sunyani and Sunyani West municipalities by empowering young people to actively participate in social, political, and economic development processes.
The close out summit was organised to evaluate the implementation of the project, present key lessons and best practices, and showcase innovations and initiatives led by adolescents during the course of the programme.
Mr. Ahenu also urged authorities to expedite the passage of the Mental Health Bill, arguing that delays in enacting the legislation are undermining efforts to strengthen mental health care delivery and protect vulnerable populations.
He expressed concern over what he described as insufficient attention from government, warning that Ghana’s limited mental health workforce, including only about 38 psychiatric doctors serving the entire population, is inadequate to address the scale of the challenge.
He argued that the passage of the bill would ensure increased resource allocation for training, recruitment, and deployment of mental health professionals across the country.
He further called on families to pay closer attention to the emotional and psychological wellbeing of children, warning that many early warning signs of mental distress are often ignored until conditions become severe.
Mr. Ahenu concluded by calling for stronger collaboration among schools, health professionals, and community based organisations, while also urging greater inclusion of young people in decision making processes that affect their wellbeing.
GNA
