The policy covers the full maternal cycle, from pre-conception through at least one year after childbirth, and shifts the delivery of care away from specialised psychiatric facilities toward primary healthcare systems, including Community-based Health Planning and Services compounds.
Speaking at the launch in Accra, Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, represented by Dr Hafiz Adam Taher, said maternal mental health was now central to the government's health agenda. "No mother should suffer in silence," he said.
The urgency behind the policy is grounded in data. Dr Eugene Dordoye, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Authority, said a national analysis conducted with the World Health Organization found that between 32 and 50 percent of pregnant and postpartum women in Ghana experience mental health conditions, predominantly anxiety and depression. Fewer than 10 percent receive any form of care.
The policy was developed through consultations with more than 80 stakeholders, including government agencies, academia, civil society, traditional and faith-based leaders, and women with lived experience.
Under the framework, midwives and community health nurses will be trained to identify early signs of emotional distress and provide timely interventions. The government also plans to expand mental health coverage under the National Health Insurance Scheme, with the Mental Health Authority and Ghana Health Service mandated to submit regular implementation reports.
Professor Titus Beyuo, Member of Parliament for Lambussie Constituency, cautioned that ambition must be matched with funding. Mental health has historically received less than three percent of the national health budget. "We are committed to ensuring that this policy is not just aspirational but fully funded and implemented," he said, adding that Parliament would push for increased budgetary allocations and consider legal reforms to strengthen protections for mothers.
International support for the policy includes the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Its Development Director, Dr Terri Sarch, said every Ghana cedi invested in maternal mental health could return up to seven cedis in savings through improved health outcomes and productivity.
World Health Organization Country Representative Dr Fiona Braka urged the government to address stigma as a core implementation challenge and encouraged women to seek care without fear.
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