“Like a Death Sentence” Abuses against Persons with Mental Disabilities in Ghana

Auteur(s)

  • Medi Ssengooba

ISBN / ISSN / EAN

1-56432-945-3

Référence

"Like a Death Sentence" Abuses against Persons with Mental Disabilities in Ghana, Human Rights Watch, North America, October 2012, 95p.

Signalé par

Human Rights Watch

Domaines de recherche appliquée

Thématiques

Incapacités

Zones géographiques

Résumé de l'auteur

A estimated of 2,8 millions persons in Ghana have mental disabilities. Of these, 650.000 are thought to have severe mental disabilities. In the country, mental disability is widely considered –even by persons with mental disabilities themselves- as being caused by evil spirits or demons. Focusing on the southern parts of the country, this report examines the experiences of persons with mental disabilities in Ghana in the tree mains environment in which they receive care: the broader community, the country’s three public psychiatric hospitals, and residential prayer camps. (…) People with disabilities in Ghana whom Human Rights Watch interviewed endured a variety of human rights abuses in psychiatric facilities and prayer camps. These included, but are not limited to : involuntary admission and arbitrary detention, prolonged detention, overcrowding and poor hygiene, chaining, forced seclusion, lack of shelter, denial of food, denial of adequate health care, involuntary treatment, stigma and its consequences, physical and verbal abuse, electroconvulsive therapy, and violations against children with disabilities. (…) Immediate attention is needed to address the human rights abuses outlined in this report (…) As Ghana has now ratifies the CRPD, the government should promptly review its disability and mental health laws and policies to ensure compliance with its international legal obligations. It must also adopt legal measures and mechanism to regulate non-orthodox service providers including prayer camps. This should involve formal registration with government health authorities, regular monitoring of services, and training prayer camp staff. The government should also develop community-based mental health and support services so that persons with mental disabilities can easily live in the community and outside institutions such as psychiatric hospitals and prayer camps. Discharging people from psychiatric facilities back to their communities will likely encourage independent living in a less restrictive environment.

Commentaire du Centre Ressources

The report gives data from a research carried out by Human Rights Watch dealing with the issue of the abused people with mental disabilities in Ghana. The research was based on the participatory method and carried out in 3 parts of Ghana where public psychiatric hospitals and prayer camps were concentrated. People with disabilities, their family and relatives and nursing staff, professionals of the United Nations agencies and international institutions like UNICEF, WHO (World Health Organization), USAID (Unites States Agency for International Development) were interviewed. It gives recommendations for short and long-term actions to Ghana’s government. 

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