On the 30th August 2023, the American Chamber of Commerce, Ghana, in collaboration with the Mental Health Authority (MHA) and Janssen, Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson and with support from the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, and the World Health Organization (WHO) organized the inaugural Prof. E.F.B. Forster Public Lecture Series on the theme “Ten Years of The Mental Health Act: Measuring Impact.”

The lecture featured remarks from Estelle Appiah, Board Chair, MHA, and Professor Kwaku Appiah-Adu, Senior Advisor, Vice President’s Secretariat, Office of the President of Ghana. Dr. Nana Adobea Brown, Psychiatrist at Accra Psychiatric Hospital, gave a profile of Professor E.F.B. Forster, highlighting his transformative impact and legacy in mental health care in Ghana.

Prof. Sammy Ohene, Chairman of the Ghana & West Africa Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons, delivered the inaugural Prof. E.F.B. Forster Public Lecture on the theme, “Ten Years of the Mental Health Act: Measuring The Impact.” He provided a historical background of mental disorders and their treatment, the importance of mental health laws, the evolution of mental health legislation in Ghana, and the Mental Health Act 2012 (Act 846) and its key provisions.

He also highlighted the state of Ghana’s mental health sector after the Mental Health Act 2012 (Act 846) had been enacted, with specific emphasis on policy and administration, human rights, community care, human resources, integration of services, and funding.

The event featured a panel moderated by Rev. Prof. Joseph Osafo, Centre for Ageing Studies, on “The Impact of the Mental Health Act.” The panelists comprised Prof. Sammy Ohene, Chairman of the Ghana & West Africa Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons; Prof. Kwasi Osei, Accra Psychiatric Hospital; Dr. Divine Ndonbi Banyubala, Registrar, Ghana Medical And Dental Council; Dr. Anthony Ofosu, Deputy Director General, Ghana Health Service; Mr. Peter Yaro, Executive Director, BasicNeeds Ghana; Dr. James Duah, Deputy Executive Director, Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG); Susan Adwoa Mensah, Social Development Adviser, United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (UK-FCDO); and Mr. Henry Osei-Agyekum, Country Manager at The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson.

Prof. Pinaman Appau, CEO of MHA, articulated her vision for the MHA and the strategies to achieve this vision. After her speech, the Management and Board of the MHA presented a lifetime achievement award to Professor Joseph Bediako Asare in recognition of his exceptional accomplishments and significant contributions to mental health care practice and training.

There were solidarity messages from Ikechukwu Ofuani, Director of Government Affairs and Policy at Johnson & Johnson, and Dr. Henry Lawson, Vice Rector at the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, as well as an address from the Ministry of Health (MoH) delivered by Alhaji Hafiz Adam, Chief Director, MoH.