By Dennis Peprah, GNA
Sunyani, (Bono), Aug. 14, GNA-BasicNeeds-Ghana, an advocacy non-governmental organisation has advised vulnerable persons to take advantage of the government’s social protection interventions to enhance their livelihoods.
Mr Benkrugu Adam Yaha, the Head of Programs of Basic-Needs Ghana, also called for satisfactory integration of mental health care into the nation’s HIV and AIDS and Tuberculosis (TB) response as well as maternal and child health interventions.
BasicNeeds-Ghana is a mental health and development advocacy organisation that promotes initiatives to transform the lives of people with mental illness or epilepsy by providing access to integrated mental health care, social and economic services in communities.
Mr Yaha gave the advice in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the sidelines of a day’s stakeholders’ engagement in Sunyani.
He indicated that Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) as well as those living with HIV and AIDS, TB, and mental health conditions ought to be treated with dignity and respect.
He spoke against societal stigmatisation and discrimination, stressing the need to improve the livelihoods of the vulnerable in society by ensuring that they easily access social protection interventions.
He noted that the nation was doing well by guaranteeing the confidentiality of persons accessing services at the various healthcare facilities and institutions of state that delivered social protection.
“So, they are assured of confidentiality, and they will be treated as persons deserving dignity and worthy of the support that the social interventions are intended to deliver,” Mr Yaha stated.
BasicNeeds-Ghana organised the engagement, attended by the social services sub-committees of Assemblies, Department of Social Welfare as well as National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
Also in attendance were beneficiaries of some government’s social intervention schemes like the Livelihood Empowerment against Poverty (LEAP) and the NHIS and Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).
The engagement forms part of activities of the Basic-Needs-Ghana Expertise France funded project titled “Strengthening Community Health Systems to Enhance Integrated People-Centred HIV, TB, SRH and MHPSS for Vulnerable Women and Adolescents in Ghana.”
Running from May 2024 to June 2027, the project targets 14,000 vulnerable women and girls across 14 districts, focused integrating mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) with HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services
Mr Yaha said that accessing the government’s social protection intervention by vulnerable persons ought to be improved to enhance their general wellbeing and comfort.
He explained that engagement was an advocacy action that brought together, hear, and share experiences of duty bearers and rights holders in ensuring that the beneficiaries easily access social interventions.
“In fact, feedback from the right holders or beneficiaries is required to enable the duty bearers to adjust for useful outcomes,” Mr Yaha stated.
GNA
Reporter: Dennis Peprah/Linda Asante Agyei
Email: [email protected]