Accra, Sept. 22, GNA – Basic Needs Ghana a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) has organized a two-day training in Accra for persons with mental illness to educate them on their sexual and reproductive health rights.
The training conducted in collaboration with the Ashaiman Municipal Health Directorate (AMHD) was also aimed at building the capacity of mental healthcare givers to enable them to help the vulnerable access reproductive health information and services in their various municipalities.
Mrs. Gladys Gbadagbali Mensah, Health Promotion Officer at the AMHD who was speaking at the opening of the training on Tuesday, encouraged persons with mental illness to speak up and seek assistance any time they were abused sexually.
Participants of the training were schooled on topics such as; sexual and reproductive health needs of adolescent girls and boys, adult male and female persons with mental illnesses and epilepsy.
The rest were; human Rights issues in sexual and reproductive health, common sexual and reproductive health concerns, harmful health seeking behaviours of both women and men with Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI).
Patience Ami Mamattah, Municipal Health Director of the AMHD, for her part expressed concern about how some people abuse persons with mental illness sexually.
The Health Directorate has according to her, had several reports of people raping and impregnating these vulnerable groups and refusing to accept responsibilities.
“This happens often because there is no information available to them, if the right information is made available to them, they will be empowered to make the right decisions and protect themselves,” she said.
Mr. Anaba Sunday Atua, Projects Officer of Basic Needs Ghana, said the training was held under a project dubbed: “Building strong movement for enhanced inclusive sexual and reproductive health rights and information for vulnerable people affected by mental health disorders in Ghana” with funding from Amplify Change.
He said the project which will last for two years, was aimed at building a strong movement for NGOs and Civil Society Organizations to advocate for better mental health and sexual and reproductive services.
Mr. Anaba said the project was expected to further change the behaviour and attitudes of people while enhancing and ensuring access to sexual reproductive health care services for all especially the vulnerable society.
The project is presently been implemented in the Northern, Greater Accra and the Upper East and West Regions by Basic Needs and its partners.
GNA