Entry to well being care is a elementary human proper.

At Sightsavers, we imagine that folks with disabilities ought to have entry to high quality, inclusive well being companies and be capable to use them with out worry of stigma or discrimination.

That is the driving pressure behind our involvement within the Ghana Somubi Dwumadie programme, which has a particular deal with psychological well being. Ghana Somubi Dwumadie (Ghana Participation Programme) is a four-year incapacity programme in Ghana, with a particular deal with psychological well being. This programme is funded with UK support from the UK authorities.

We all know from venture analysis that 85-98 per cent of individuals experiencing psychological well being circumstances within the nation can not entry the remedy they want resulting from a scarcity of service provision, lack of educated psychological well being professionals, inaccessible companies and the stigma surrounding psychological well being.

In an replace on its landmark report 10 years in the past, Human Rights Watch has helped deliver to gentle that the follow of placing chains on folks with psychological well being points nonetheless exists in Ghana, in each faith-based and conventional therapeutic camps and centres. The preliminary report, together with advocacy efforts, had helped to create a shift in attitudes amongst psychological well being employees. It additionally led to the federal government taking motion, the institution of psychological well being regional visiting committees to observe prayer camps and orthodox psychological well being amenities, together with a psychological well being tribunal. Nonetheless, implementation has been gradual.

We’re proud to have helped make sure that the visiting committees at the moment are operational. In December 2022, we supplied technical help to Ghana’s psychological well being authority to design and ship pilot coaching for members of those committees in 5 areas.

The committees, made up of dedicated professionals together with civil servants, legal professionals and psychological well being employees throughout Ghana, are tasked with inspecting psychological well being amenities – an exercise that’s important in defending the human rights of individuals with disabilities and psychological well being circumstances.

That is additionally a trigger near my coronary heart. Having served on the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Individuals with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and the UK Equality and Human Rights Fee, I drew extensively on my expertise to assist ship the coaching and felt enriched by the tales shared by the trainees, a few of whom have been former service customers.