Dr. Akwasi Osei, The Chief Executive Officer of the Mental Health Authority said that the proposed Mental Health Levy is necessary in view of dwindling resources and in comparative to the high level of challenges facing Ghanaians
“One of our biggest expectations for 2020 is to establish the Mental Health Levy that we’ve been clamouring for,” Dr Osei said.Authorities in the West African state of Ghana are contemplating the introduction of Mental health Levy special tax to fund different programmes and policy of the government on mental health.
“Already, there is a Mental Health Fund established by virtue of the law but what would feed the fund is largely the levy. But we are developing a levy to regulate the management of the fund so when the levy comes we already have the protocol and the policy to manage the levy. We are preparing the grounds” he explained.
Dr Osei further advised that the Mental Health Board is developing a policy of how to manage that fund when it is finally established. He stated that mental health has been malnourished, orphaned and deprived of resources for years.
“To bring parity and a level of equality with other health conditions, there is a need to give a lot of resources and that means more funding to mental health than exist.”
He expressed delight in the budgetary allocation for mental health for 2020,He also indicated plans by the Authority to get mentally challenged people off the streets and communities.
