CEO's Message

Mental well-being is not a luxury — it is essential.

 Good mental health empowers individuals to realise their full potential, manage everyday stress, work productively, and actively contribute to their communities and national development. Yet, too often, mental health is overlooked. Discrimination, neglect, and rights violations against people with mental health conditions—such as poor healthcare access, stigma, and few job opportunities—remain widespread in Ghana and across Africa. Mental health is important for all.

At Care and Action for Mental Health for Africa (CAMHA), we are committed to advancing the development of a robust, compassionate, and inclusive mental healthcare system, recognizing that achieving this goal necessitates a collaborative approach. Whether someone is born with a condition, acquires it through trauma, injury, substance misuse, or the emotional scars of abuse, every individual deserves care, support, and dignity.

Mental health challenges stem from various sources:

Biological or genetic conditions

Head injuries from accidents.

Prolonged life stress or trauma

Abuse — physical, emotional, or sexual — especially among children and adolescents.

Substance and alcohol misuse

In 2016, CAMHA launched its annual Mental Health Sports Festival in Ghana — an initiative that harnesses the power of sport to raise awareness, foster inclusion, and build support for individuals living with mental illness. The festival features a range of sports activities, workshops on mental health, and opportunities for individuals to share their personal stories. The enthusiasm, participation, and positive feedback from staff and patients of Ghana’s three psychiatric hospitals have been inspiring. The desire to compete, celebrate, and win has transformed this event into a powerful platform for advocacy and healing. We hope to continue growing this initiative year after year.

Our goal at CAMHA is to increase mental health awareness in Ghana and across Africa. Every voice, every action counts. Together, we can create communities where policymakers will treat mental health care with the same urgency and respect as physical health. It is up to us to ensure that those struggling are not shamed but supported. We all have a role to play in this collective effort.

Regardless of the condition, recovery is not just a distant possibility, but a reality that can be achieved with timely treatment, therapy, and the love and support of family, friends, and the community. Let us hold on to this hope and work towards making it a reality for all.

Let us stand together for mental health. Alone, we are lost!

Ebenezer Akonnor Fianko

Project Director, CAMHA