People with mental disabilities face serious abuse: Video

People with mental disabilities suffer severe abuses in psychiatric institutions and spiritual healing centres in Ghana.

The Ghanaian government has done little to combat such abuse or to ensure that these people can live in the community, as is their right under international law.

The 84-page report, “‘Like a Death Sentence’: Abuses against Persons with Mental Disabilities in Ghana,” describes how thousands of people with mental disabilities are forced to live in these institutions, often against their will and with little possibility of challenging their confinement. In psychiatric hospitals, people with mental disabilities face overcrowding and unsanitary conditions.

In some of the spiritual healing centres, popularly known as prayer camps, they are often chained to trees, frequently in the baking sun, and forced to fast for weeks as part of a “ healing process,” while being denied access to medications.

The report also highlights the challenges of people with mental disabilities who live in the community, who face stigma and discrimination and often lack adequate shelter, food, and healthcare.