Increase support for Mental Health

The Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), has entreated the Government to increase its support for mental health services as significant number of Ghanaians are beginning to suffer from this condition.

The Government was urged to make available psychotropic medicines so that the several mental health units created at the various districts are equipped to serve mental health clients in the country.

The appeals were contained in a communiqué issued CHAG at the end of its 52^nd Annual Conference Held in Tamale from 21^st – 22^nd August 2019, on the theme: Ghana’s Journey Towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC): The Role of CHAG.

CHAG which pledged to reduce maternal and child mortalities amidst the limited resources also urged Government to support emergency services to ensure that the envisaged package of health services on the UHC agenda are delivered to Ghanaians.

The Communiqué signed by Mr. Peter Kwame Yeboah, Executive Director for CHAG, pledged the commitment of the network to work with HEFRA and the new Quality Management Unit at MOH, as it seeks to introduce a network-wide Quality Safe Care programme for CHAG institutions.

To this end the CHAG entreated Government not to renege on its support to quality related units such as HEFRA and the new Quality Management Unit at MOH, adding that the work of these institutions coupled with those initiated at the facility level will ensure that Ghanaians have access to quality of services.

CHAG also affirmed its commitment to pursue strategies to ensure that Ghanaians access quality, equitable and affordable health care without posing any financial risk to them.

The communiqué also assured CHAG’s readiness to ensure the delivery of quality and affordable health care, to all especially the unserved, underserved, and poorly served in the country.

The network also pledged to work with stakeholders and partners to ensure quality improvement systems, efficient supply chain, responsive human capital and solid health financing strategy among others, as well as embrace innovative approaches to health delivery especially in the area of data protection, data storage and data usage to help improve health outcomes and the attainment of Universal Health Coverage by 2030.

CHAG which applauded Government for its support over the years to the network implored the Government to guard the National Health Insurance to make it efficient by reducing moral hazards, reducing fraud and using technology that enhances claims management.

The network also urged the Government to separate the National Health Insurance Levy (NHIL) funds from the consolidated funds to ensure that health providers are paid timely in order to have all logistics, medicines and essential supplies to provide the needed health services to all Ghanaians.

CHAG is the second largest provider of health services, continuing Christ’s Healing Ministry, with over 344 institutions in the remotest places of Ghana. The network call on all to ensure Universal Health Coverage becomes a reality in Ghana. 

CHAG supports St. Monica's Clinic

*Mr. Yeboah presenting the presenting the item to Fr. Adarkwah

The Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), has made a presentation to the St. Monica Clinic & Maternity at Aakyem-Sekyere in the Koforidua Diocese, to facilitate healthcare delivery in the area.

Among the items donated were a motorbike, a public address system, boxes of facemasks, practical guide book and Educational Materials on mental health.

The Executive Director for CHAG, Mr. Peter K. Yeboah, said the donation with funding from UKAID, was to help in the delivery of mental health services in the catchment area.

He noted that CHAG has over the past five years been promoting awareness on mental health in the country, and commended efforts by personals at the Clinic in championing mental health service.

Madam Serwah. 

Expressing worry about the 98% treatment gap of mental health illness in the country, Mr. Yeboah called for increased awareness on mental health disease, more access to mental health services, and a reduction in the stigma attached to mental health patients.

The Senior Physician Assistant at the St. Monica Clinic, Afua Serwaah Bonsu, who jointly received the items with Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Adarkwah, Chaplain of the Holy Family Hospital at Nkawkaw, thanked the Executive Director for honouring his promise to support the facility.

She said the items which came handy, would go a long way to help in health delivery, especially in the area of mental health service, adding that the support has boosted their moral to work hard.

Similarly, Fr. Adarkwah who blessed the items, thanked CHAG for the support. 

Madam Eunice Aidoo, Acting District Coordinator for Mental Health, observed that schizophrenia and epilepsy were prevalent in the area, and entreated families and the society to provide social support to persons with mental illness.

Advocate for inclusive Development

Bishop Baawobr with the participants

Most Rev. Richard Kuuia Baawobr, M.Afr., Catholic Bishop of Wa, has called on Ghanaians especially Christians to reflect on the plight of the socially excluded including the poor, and think of ways to reach out to them.

The Bishop urged Parishes throughout the country, particularly those in the Wa Diocese to use the World Day of the Poor (Sunday November 19) to rethink inclusive development to address the plight of the poor in the country.

He made these observation during the opening of a National Seminar on ‘Ensure No One is Left Behind’ in Ghana’s Implementation of the SDGs, organised by Caritas Ghana with support from Sightsavers, Caritas Africa, MAREDES and the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, at the Catholic Guest House,Tiegber in Wa on Thursday.

Bishop Baawobr speaking at the Seminar

The Bishop who expressed worry at the deplorable conditions of the poor, marginalised, and mentally challenged, entreated stakeholders to make effective and inclusive planning to ensure that no one was left behind in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“The SDGs can bring real change provided all the stakeholders work at ensuring that every individual achieves the full package of rights and opportunities the SDGs express” he said.

Describing the Seminar as a heart-warming one, Bishop Baawobr, expressed optimism that “stakeholders in the implementation of the SDGs will find and agree on what to do to so that no region or people or category of people is left behind or worst still is exploited in the process”.

Pope Francis recently named the thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary time (November 19) the World Day of the Poor to help the Catholics and people reflect on plight of the poor in our society.

In his exhortation to mark the celebration of the Day, the Pope said: ‘If we want to help change history and promote real development, we need to hear the cry of the poor and commit ourselves to ending their marginalization’.

To this end, Very Rev. Fr. Daniel F. Saaka, Vice Rector at the St. Victor’s Seminary, Tamale, urged Parishes to give prominence to the World Day of the Poor and use the occasion to champion the course of the poor and vulnerable, whilst impacting on their lives in the communities.

He challenged Catholic Charities to continue making preferential options for the poor, and support the vulnerable, especially those, whose lives and property are under threat.

“The call for solidarity with the poor, is very significant” he stressed, entreating the Church to pay more attention to issues of child labour or trafficking, waste management, care for the environment and check the culture of waste.

In a statement, Mr. Samuel Zan Akologo, Executive Secretary of Caritas Ghana, observed that incidences in our country of defilement of minors and disruptions to the school feeding programme in some very poor communities that left children without their daily ration of food were signs of a weakening system of protection for the vulnerable.

Decrying the elusive and scanty action given to social protection in the country, he called for a push for demonstrable commitment by public policy actors and architects of national development plans to ensure social protection issues were adequately catered for.

“It is no longer acceptable that the weak, poor, marginalised and vulnerable in society are an after-thought of planned policies and development programmes” he declared.

He explained that the principle to ‘Ensure No One is Left Behind’ meant a conscious policy and programming direction that aims to reach first those furthest behind or at the periphery of society.

Mr. Akologo noted that the seminar, a continuity of Caritas Ghana work last year, to assess the status of Ghana’s implementation of the SDGs and dialogue to ensure that everyone, and especially the poor themselves, understand how they will be accounted for when measuring progress with the SDGs.

Madam Grace Antwi-Atsu, Global Advocacy Advisor at Sightsavers, noted that her organisation was working together with partners, including Caritas Ghana to ensure that no one was left behind in the implementation of the SDGs.

This was after the realisation that most Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), who make up 15 % of the world population, were not systematically included in the progress made against Millennium Development Goals.

To make the biggest impact by 2030, Madam Antwi-Atsu said Sightsavers seeks new alliances and partnerships, as well as use advocacy to ensure no one was left behind.

She called for evidence based advocacy, and entreated funders, non-profits, and other civil society groups to maintain pressure on governments to include PWDs and all marginalised in their development plans.

Notwithstanding the considerable economic growth and reduction of poverty over the years, Madam Otiko Afisa Djaba, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, in a speech read for her stated that persistent economic and social inequalities calls for the intensification, harmonisation and sustenance of interventions to deal with the problems.

She said poverty which has been halfed from 56.5% to 24.2% nationally from 1992 to 2013, was still rife in the three Northern Regions, with Upper West recording 70%.

She noted that though efforts were being made to increase women participation in the political front, increase women access to MASLOC to improve their women financial status, among others, Government would collaborate with Caritas Ghana and other development partners to provide more interventions to bridge the poverty gap.

Over 45 participants drawn from MAREDES, Ghana Federation of Disable, Diocesan Development Officers, as well as Civil Society groups attended the two-day Seminar.