Stakeholders seek stronger policies, funding, others for persons with mental health conditions in Africa

Stakeholders in mental health and disability inclusion have called for stronger policies, increased funding, and respect for the rights of persons with psychosocial disabilities across Africa. They made the call on Monday at a capacity-building workshop organized under the Africa CDC Mental Health Leadership Programme (MHLP) for Civil Society Organisations and Organisations of Persons with […]

Stakeholders in mental health and disability inclusion have called for stronger policies, increased funding, and respect for the rights of persons with psychosocial disabilities across Africa.

They made the call on Monday at a capacity-building workshop organized under the Africa CDC Mental Health Leadership Programme (MHLP) for Civil Society Organisations and Organisations of Persons with Disabilities West and Central Africa Regions.

Funded by Wellcome Trust, the AMHLP is a key component of Africa CDC’s continental strategic priorities on Non-Communicable Diseases, Injuries, and Mental Health. The programme sets out a coordinated approach to support African Union Member States in advancing public mental health efforts.

As part of its core deliverables, the AMHLP prioritizes the strengthening of civil society networks, including Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs).

This effort is being led by CBM Global Disability Inclusion (CBM Global), with the goal of equipping CSOs with the knowledge and tools needed to meaningfully influence mental health policies and practices.

Phillip Ode, Country Programme manager for Global Disability Inclusion in Nigeria, said the initiative was designed to strengthen the capacity of organizations of persons with disabilities to influence policies and service delivery.

“This program is targeted to ensure that people with disabilities are able to contribute meaningfully to policies and service delivery,” Odeh explained.

“We are training participants to add their voices to decision-making processes and to collaborate in movement building across their countries. This is about ensuring services and systems are organized in ways that protect dignity and improve mental health care.”

Ashaley Cecilia Fofo, a development advocate with BasicNeeds, Ghana, stressed the importance of inclusion and respect for the rights of persons with psychosocial disabilities, particularly in accessing health and social services.

“This is a good step because we have civil society, organizations of persons with disabilities, and people with lived experience all at the table,” she said.

“Too often, people with mental health conditions are neglected or seen as incapable of exercising their rights, but they have the same rights as everyone else, including access to healthcare, family planning, and maternal services.

“Families and caregivers should communicate with them directly to understand their needs, because they know best what support they require.”

Michael NJenga, Regional Mental Health Advisor for Africa, CBM Global Disability Inclusion, identified outdated laws, underfunding, and human rights violations as some of the major challenges in addressing mental health across the continent.

“Most countries allocate less than 0.1 percent of their health budget to mental health, which is far from sufficient,” Jenga noted.

“We also face challenges with outdated laws, forced treatment, and human rights violations in both institutions and communities. To move forward, we need reforms that respect human rights, increased investment in community-based services, and meaningful participation of people with lived experience in shaping policies and programs.”

Representing Nigeria’s Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Andrew Uche emphasized the need to ensure inclusion from the grassroots to the national level.

“As an umbrella body for persons with disabilities across Nigeria, our role is to make sure the needs of people with mental health conditions are recognized at all levels,” Andrew said.

“We work to ensure that even those in remote and hard-to-reach areas are not left behind, and we continue to advocate for improved services that make life better for them.”