Ghana Somubi Dwumadie, a Non-profit Organisation, has organised a film screening event to highlight the most significant change stories from its projects across 10 of the 16 regions of the country. The screening, among others, aimed to celebrate and share the impactful stories of transformation and success by four of its nine beneficiary organisations namely: the Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD), Hope for Future Generation (HFFG)- The PsyKForum, Africa Disability Institute (formerly VOICE Ghana) and Songtaba, women's rights organisation, who were all engaged for 33 months. The Ghana Somubi Dwumadie (Ghana Participation Programme) is a four-year disability programme with specific focus on mental health and funded by UK Aid and the UK Government to reduce stigma and discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), including those with mental health disorders, and increase their access to available social support, to improve their wellbeing, socio-economic outcomes, and rights. The common problems identified and highlighted in the films by the project implementors were issues of societal stigmatisation and discrimination against PWDs, including those with mental health disorders, leading to their inability to access key services like quality healthcare, education, and faced inclusion in decision making processes. While the Africa Disability Institute looked at stigma within communities, Songtaba, tackled the menace of witchcraft accusations against women and their confinements to witches' camps in areas in the Northern parts of Ghana. Similarly, HFFG trained PWDs as Inclusion Champions, empowering them with knowledge and skills to become active participants in decision making processes at both local and national levels, while GNAD's project focused on the mental health of these vulnerable groups, particularly those with speech and hearing impairment. GNAD's project provided these persons and their communities with valuable insights and knowledge on mental health and human rights, changing t heir perceptions about these conditions, while enhancing discourses regarding how they could access treatment. Ms Lyla Adwan-Kamara, the Team Leader of Ghana Somubi Dwumadie, said the programme awarded a total amount of 612,970 Pounds Sterling to nine grantees made up of five small and four large grants, to implement activities including Behaviour and Social Change (SBC), and congratulated the grantees for the successful impacts made within their designated communities and districts. She said some notable successes included growing community ownership, and addressing stigma and discrimination, such as by-law changes and learning forums. Ms Adwan-Kamara said the grantees were supported in developing advocacy messages, positive language designs, creating a constructive culture, and developing materials on stigma and discrimination education, which received significant buy-in from traditional and religious authorities. She said it was hoped that as the programme neared its closure in September 2024, all stak eholders and organisations who had been part of the gains made, would remain committed to scaling up key learnings for more sustainable impact. Professor Pinaman Appau, the Chief Executive Officer, Mental Health Authority (MHA), in her keynote address, cited strong advocacy as the way forward to stopping stigma and discrimination against PWDs, branding of vulnerable women as witches, and enhancing their inclusion in social activities. She said the Authority was greatly concerned about the challenges of poor access to quality mental healthcare services across the country, but had taken note of concerns about policy and legislative gaps, along with the exclusion of persons with hearing impairment in public mental health education drives, and was making conscious efforts to employ sign language professionals during in-person and social media campaigns. Again, the desire of all the participants regarding the closing down of these witches' camps and safety of these women should not be ignored, but must be given the desired attention, as the shared success stories had proven that their re-integration was possible, she said. She called for more funding towards research, supporting health facilities with requisite human resources and infrastructure to provide disability-friendly services. Prof. Appau said although there had been progress in some areas, prejudice, misunderstanding, and structural impediments continued to prevent PWDs from fully participating in socio-economic events, as negative cultural attitudes towards disabilities persisted in society, with disability portrayed as a shortcoming rather than a unique facet of human existence. Isolation, exclusion, and restricted access to resources were therefore the results of these mindsets, she added. She said 'Disability is a complex experience influenced by socio-economic and cultural variables rather than just a physical illness. The WHO relates it to a complex relationship between an individual's health condition, personal factors, and external circumstance s.' However, studies have shown that cultural attitudes and health structures played a role in the development of disability in addition to an individual's physical handicap, she said. Prof. Appau commended Ghana Somubi Dwumadie for being a reliable partner in improving Ghana's mental health landscape, by supporting in several ways including the implementation of the Authority's Strategic Plan over the years. She said the MHA applauds the Organisation and its partners for the significant impact made through its grant projects, to address these key challenges, and pledged the Authority's resolve to promote inclusivity of PWDs with more funding for national development. Madam Gertrude Oforiwa Fefoame, the Chairperson, UN Expert Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, admitted that by stigma and discrimination perpetuated the cycle of poverty among PWDs, hence addressing these challenges would lead to enhancing individual lives and strengthen local communities, the nation and create a world whe re no one was left behind. Source: Ghana News Agency