Accra, Feb. 12, GNA - Communities have been called upon to include issues pertaining to mental health and epilepsy in their development processes and poverty eradication policies and programmes. "I will also urge all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to use part of their resources for the construction of facilities that would help cater for issues pertaining to these illnesses," said Nii Armah Ashietey, Greater Accra Regional Minister.

Nii Ashitey, who made the call during a community durbar on mental illness at Jamestown in Accra on Friday, also asked government to attach greater importance to mental health since it was one of the key determinants of human development.

"A visit to our psychiatric hospital paints a very disturbing picture on the rising incidence of people with stress, depression and other mentally related illnesses with its negative effects on the individual, families and governments," he said.

Nii Ashietey called on all to desist from stigmatizing against people with mental illness, respect their fundamental human rights and give them all the needed support to be well integrated into the society. He cited lack of modern psychotropic medicines, skewed location of mental health hospitals, and inadequate mental health professionals and facilities as some of reasons militating against the fight against mental illnesses in the country. The durbar, which was sponsored by Basic Needs Ghana, a non- governmental organization that caters for people with mental health challenges, was sponsored by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives,. Mr. Michael Gort, Charge d'Affaires, Canadian High Commission, called for the promotion of mental health issues in order to adequately address them.

He said since 2006, CFLI had been supporting grassroots development initiatives through community-based, NGOs and civil society organizations. "Twenty-four projects and twenty-three NGOs have been supported under this fund since it was established in 2006 and significant results in human rights and governance have been realized," he said. Mr Peter Yaro, Country Programme Officer of Basic Needs Ghana, cited frustration, stress, depression and wounded relationships as some of the causes of mental illnesses. Madam Menatu Montana, National President of Mental Health Society of Ghana, called on the government to quickly pass the mental health bill which would seek to address issues pertaining to mental health in the country. 12 Feb. 10