Prof. E.F.B Forster Public Lecture Series On Mental Health

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.

Johnson and Johnson Holds Mental Health Stakeholders Meeting

Johnson and Johnson Medical Ghana held a stakeholders meeting in Accra on October 25, 2018 to discuss mental health issues. The event which was dubbed Mental Health Stakeholders Meeting was under the theme ‘Carving the Ideal Mental Health Journey Through Strategic Partnerships.’

The event brought together stakeholder from across the health sector, politicians, policy makers and a section of the general public.

The Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, who was the Chairman of the event assured stakeholders in mental health care that parliament will work towards the passage of the Legislative Instrument (LI) on Ghana’s Mental Health Act.

He said it was unfortunate that the five year old LI had not been passed, particularly so when its passage would help the Mental Health Authority operate efficiently.

According to statistics 41 per cent of Ghanaians had one form of psychological distress or another and 40 per cent of all cases at any general hospital have some relationship with mental health problem.

Chief Executive Officer of the Mental Health Authority, Dr. Akwasi Osei who was also a speaker at the event said, “Mental illness reduces lifespan by as much as 12 to 20 years and the high suicide rate of 1,500 deaths per year can be attributed to one mental disorder or another.”

The plight of mental health patients and health worker has been worsened with several challenges including lack of adequate funding.  Special guest of honor at the event, Second Lady of the Republic of Ghana, Her Excellency, Samira Bawumia attested to the fact of inadequate funding. “We cannot afford to lose workers because they can’t afford mental health care,” She said.

“We cannot be unconcerned and we need to act now. As a nation, it is imperative that we make mental health care a priority,” she stressed, and called for awareness creation on mental health and care.

The Country Manager of Johnson and Johnson, Ms Priscilla Owusu-Sekyere, said Janssen Pharmaceutica, a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson, was fostering mental health partnerships to ensure that no patient was left behind. She added that, her company is using innovative pricing to make mental health drugs cheaply available to patients.

She said Janssen was leading efforts at transforming mental health care by raising awareness, reducing the stigma associated with mental illness, building the capacity of healthcare professionals and improving access to health care.

On building the capacity of healthcare professionals, Ms Owusu-Sekyere said Janssen had so far sponsored 18 students to undergo a year’s training in mental healthcare delivery and improving access to health care.

Several suggestions were made at the meeting as to how mental health care delivery can be made more accessible, effective and efficient. Some of the suggestions were the inclusion of mental health care delivery into the NHIS, the establishment of a mental health board, the incorporation of mental health care into the general health care system and the preparation of a national prevalence data to guide policy and interventions.

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Johnson and Johnson Ghana to Embark on Mental Health Awareness Campaign

AmCham Ghana Executive Secretary, Simon Madjie paid a courtesy call on  Johnson & Johnson  Medical at their Ghana office. The visit was to interact with Management on the state of business since the company opened its Ghana office in Match 2017.

Mr. Madjie had several discussions with the Management of Johnson and Johnson, notable is the company’s initiative to create mental health awareness among the corporate world and the general public.  Johnson and Johnson Country Manager, Priscilla Owusu-Sekyere said mental illness appears to be common in the country but receives little to no attention.

According to the Ghana Health Service, about 41 percent of Ghanaians have some psychological disorder. For this reason, Ms. Owusu-Sekyere said mental health demanded more attention than it is getting.

Johnson and Johnson has already been doing some work in the area of mental health, in partnership with Basic Needs, they have donated medicine for mental health disorders and therapeutic techniques through gardening projects; the current gardening project benefits over 150 patients and over 100 care givers.

According Ms. Owusu-Sekyere, the current campaign will focus on schizophrenia, depression and other mental health illnesses.

Johnson & Johnson in Match 2017 announced the expansion of its operations in Africa with the launch of a new office in Accra, Ghana. The company’s new presence has brought together multiple teams representing Johnson & Johnson consumer, medical device, pharmaceutical and global public health (GPH) organizations to deliver an integrated approach to improving health outcomes in the region.