The second edition of the Mental Health Forum has been launched in Accra with a call for a renewal of the national commitment to the mental well-being of the public.
This year’s forum, scheduled to take place on May 15, 2026, at the Accra International Conference Centre, will centre on autism and ADHD on the theme: “Clarity, compassion and inclusion”.
The event will bring together people with lived experiences, professionals, policymakers and advocates to deepen discussions on mental health illnesses and drive the needed change.
Rationale
The Founder of the Mental Health Forum, Jahara Osman, explained that the initiative had grown from the reality that many people had suffered in silence.
She said misunderstanding and misdiagnosis had shaped public attitudes toward those conditions.
“Autism and ADHD are still misunderstood. Too often, we’re reduced to stereotypes, misdiagnosed, or dismissed entirely,” she stated.
Ms Osman said society had wrongly treated those conditions as behavioural problems instead of recognising them as neurodevelopmental differences.
“These are not behavioural problems or character flaws.
They are neurodevelopmental differences, real, valid, and experienced differently by individuals,” she said.
She indicated that these realities necessitated the forum as a platform to transform attitudes towards mental issues in the country and to save lives.
Commitment
The Director of Technical Coordination at the Ministry of Health, Dr Hafez Adam Taher, launched the forum and said the initiative represented a renewed national commitment to mental well-being.
Dr Taher said the government recognised mental health as a national priority and had worked through the Mental Health Authority and partners to strengthen services.
He said authorities had moved to implement the Mental Health Act and integrate mental health into primary health care.
“We are working to strengthen the implementation of the Mental Health Act and integrate mental health services into primary health care,” he said.
Dr Taher added that stigma and misinformation had prevented many people from seeking help, urging young people to seek professional help and reject stigma.
“Seeking help is strength, not weakness. Talk to someone, use the services available, and ask for help from friends,” he stated.
Dr Taher said mental health care must extend beyond hospital settings and into communities.
“Mental health cannot be successful only within the hospital wards. It must live in our communities,” he said.
He added that the Ministry was committed to working with all stakeholders, particularly the media and the initiators of the Mental Health Forum, to change attitudes, fight stereotypes and battle the stigma associated with mental health conditions in the country.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh
