By Gilbert Azeem Tiroog, GNA
Bolgatanga (U/E), Sept. 27, GNA – Traditional and religious leaders in the Upper East Region have been trained in mental health first aid.
They were urged to use their influence to fight stigma, promote compassion and dignity as well as support families affected by mental illness.
A one-day workshop, organised by Public Health at Your Doorstep in collaboration with the U.S. Department of State, Mandela Washington Fellowship, IREX, and Texas Health and Human Services, brought together chiefs and religious leaders across the various traditional councils.
The workshop sought to strengthen the capacity of traditional and religious leaders to appreciate the growing trend and root causes of mental illness, while empowering them to play a leading role in the fight against drug abuse in their communities.
Ms. Gifty Atampugbire, the Executive Director of Public Health at Your Doorstep and a Mandela Washington Fellow, said the training aimed at bridging the wide gap in access to mental health services in the five Northern Regions, where there was currently no state-owned mental health facility.
She said: “If somebody is depressed and thinking about committing suicide, where are the structures, and who is the right person to turn to? That is why we are empowering traditional and religious leaders, nurses, and midwives to offer mental health first aid and advocacy at the community level.”
The Executive Director, who is also a mental health first aid trainer, indicated that over 165 nurses and midwives were also trained in the Region to serve as mental health first aiders and would further train colleagues using manuals provided.
“We don’t have the structures, but we have the human resource. That is why they are key to this project,” she added.
She appealed to government, Members of Parliament, and district assemblies to support initiatives aimed at improving mental health in the northern regions, stressing the urgent need for a state-owned rehabilitation facility.
Ms. Gifty A. Polycarp, the Upper East Regional Mental Health Coordinator, presented data on mental-related illnesses, which showed worrying trends.
According to her, 210 depression cases were recorded in 2023, 137 in 2024, and 108 so far in 2025 while seven suicide deaths were also recorded in 2023, 13 deaths in 2024, and seven so far in 2025.
She indicated that there was also a sharp rise in bipolar disorders from 106 in 2023 to 125 in 2024, with 39 cases so far recorded in 2025.
Ms. Polycarp emphasised that these figures recorded were obviously lower compared to the reality in the region given the gap in data collection and the fact that families don’t report some of the cases.
Naba R. S. M. Sayeed Musah Abubakari Sadik, the Chief of Gambigo, who participated in the workshop, pledged commitment to intensify advocacy in his community.
He stressed that he would continue community sensitization on drug abuse and collaborate with the police to clamp down on youth engaged in substance misuse.
Pastor Joseph Abongo, a pastor with the Assemblies of God Church commended the initiative, describing it as an eye-opener.
“As I minister God’s word, I will also pass this information to my congregation and the wider community to help save people from drug abuse,” he said.
The participants called for broader stakeholder engagement, including the security services, to strengthen collaboration in tackling mental health and substance abuse challenges in the region.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Benjamin Mensah