The Neglected Ones: The sad story of the mentally ill in Ghana

Photo: Hans Eiskonen

Ghana is a diverse nation with an estimated population of about 30 million people. It also has over 100 ethnic groups, each with its own distinct language. It used to be referred to as the Gold Coast—a name given by the first Portuguese explorers to ever set foot in Ghana—due to the country’s large gold reserves.

Today, Ghana not only boasts of gold but also cocoa, diamonds, manganese, bauxite and grand exploits in football. In addition to its many resources the country discovered, over a decade ago, a large repository of crude oil in its western region.

However, despite these natural endowments, Ghana faces huge challenges in several critical sectors. One of these is its healthcare system especially—for the purpose of this article—the treatment of mentally ill patients commonly referred to as “mad”, “insane” or “crazy” people. Sadly, such persons are generally avoided and treated appallingly. Those with families are sometimes fortunate enough to receive some form of care while the unlucky ones are left to roam the streets.

There is no gainsaying the fact that these mental patients deserve more than the system has given them. Even with the Mental Health Act of 2012, put in place “to ensure the right and quality treatment of persons with mental disorder, and to stipulate changes to the organisation, provision and funding of mental health services,” little has changed with regards to the way people with mental issues are marginalised, neglected and stigmatised.

I have witnessed mentally challenged persons chained to immovable objects, abandoned at churches, shrines, or at one of the three under-resourced public mental health institutions in the country. Parents abandon their children due to the stigma associated with having a mentally challenged child. Pregnant mentally challenged women are also left to wander the streets. Mental health disorders are attributed to evil spirits, witches and sins believed to have been committed by loved ones. Not surprisingly, every neighbourhood has its own resident “mad person” who wanders about the community.  

Some citizens, in their own small way, exhibit extraordinary acts of kindness by feeding them, donating old clothes and other items. For instance, through his Brother’s Keeper Refining Home, Emmanuel Annobil has taken it upon himself to bathe, clean, clothe and feed these so-called “mad people” with personal funds for the past 20 years.

The actions of a few people are, however, not enough. In the spirit of the UN’s sustainable development goals, everyone is entitled to good health and a life free from poverty and hunger. It is therefore my position that the very best care and attention be afforded to these clearly deprived individuals. I strongly believe that, because people living with mental illnesses have been neglected for so long, the slightest concerted effort to change this narrative will yield significant results.

I propose a three-pronged approach.

First, the efforts of well-meaning individuals, groups and organisations to improve the lives of the mentally impaired have lacked coordination and coherence in recent years. The first approach has to be to bring together all these stakeholders to make more visible impact on the lives of mental illness patients.

The second approach would be to change the narrative about people living with mental illnesses. There should be mass engagement and education through schools, social media, and the mainstream media on the nature, forms, and causes of mental illness, what to do when loved ones need professional help, and how to manage mental illness.

Finally, rescuing, rehabilitating and providing a safe place where people living with mental illness are free from judgment, shelters for mentally challenged persons living on the streets, resource centres, and free clinics that provide therapy and counselling fo both inpatient and outpatient cases.

About the Author

Eric Nii Anyetei Odonkor is an aspiring writer from Accra, Ghana. He holds a BSc in Finance from the University of Professional Studies, Accra, and is currently working on pursuing a MSc in Finance and Investment in the UK. In his spare time, he loves to write and edit essays, scripts and academic papers.