By Mama A. Touray
The Executive Director of ActionAid International, The Gambia, Ndella Faye Colley, has urged the Vice President of The Gambia, Muhammad B. S. Jallow, to prioritize mental health service delivery and to increase the budget allocation for this cause.
She made this call during the first National Stakeholders’ Dialogue on Mental Health in The Gambia, organised by the National Human Rights Commission at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre in Bijilo on Tuesday.
In her advocacy for prioritizing mental health reforms, Ndella stated: “We request the government to prioritize mental health service delivery and increase budgetary allocation to cater for the training and material needs of mental health service providers for improve quality delivery to users,” adding that despite the gloomy situations, hope is not lost.
Ndella continued: “The government should push for the Mental Health Policy and Bill to be aligned to International Human Rights Laws, finalised and sent to Cabinet and parliament for approval as soon as possible to improve the policy and legal framework for mental health”.
She also emphasized the importance of collaboration and support for building the capacity of service delivery institutions and caregivers. This, she said, will help them understand the upcoming policy and legal frameworks once they are finalized. Such understanding is crucial for ensuring the appropriate use of these frameworks during service delivery, ultimately enhancing the dignity and rights of people with mental health concerns.
She further urged stakeholders, development partners, civil society organizations, and activists to maintain their collaboration in order to improve the quality of mental health service delivery.
“We encourage all stakeholders to join the campaign to raise awareness and reduce stigma and discrimination, using both conventional and social media channels to promote the rights and dignity of people with mental health,” she said.
Director Ndella reassured the commitment of ActionAid to collaborate with stakeholders and work together to improve mental health advocacy and service delivery in The Gambia.
