Over 50% of mental health disorder cases in Ghana are individuals under 35
via GhanaWeb1 min read
Dr. Yaw Amankwa Arthur, Deputy Director of Health Promotion at the Mental Health Authority, has voiced concerns regarding the increase in mental health cases in Ghana. He stated in an interview on April 28, 2026, that data indicates individuals aged 1 to 34 years old represent over 50 percent of reported cases, amounting to more than 40,000 people. Dr. Arthur suggested that the actual number of cases is likely higher due to underreporting. He highlighted the troubling nature of this trend, considering the potential social and economic contributions these individuals could make to themselves, their families, communities, and the country. The World Health Organization defines mental health as a state of well-being allowing individuals to cope with life's stresses, realize their abilities, learn, work, and contribute to their community, emphasizing its importance as a basic and universal human right essential for human development.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by GhanaWeb.
The Ghanaian government, through the Ministry of Finance, has authorized the release of GH¢76,466,919.20 to support the Senior National Football Team, the Black Stars. This financial commitment is divided into two disbursements for the team's participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. An advance payment of GH¢58,929,500.00 US$5,000,000.00 has been released for World Cup preparations and group stage participation. Additionally, GH¢17,537,419.20 US$1,488,000.00 has been released to settle outstanding qualification bonuses, fulfilling a performance-based agreement where 50 percent of bonuses were paid during qualifiers and the remaining 50 percent upon successful qualification. The government expressed its commitment to providing the team with necessary resources and called on Ghanaians to support the Black Stars.
Akorfa Dagadu, a 2019 National Science and Maths Quiz NSMQ semifinalist from Keta Senior High Technical School, has graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT with a degree in Chemical-Biological Engineering. She was recognized as the Most Outstanding Chemical Engineering Student in Boston by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE. Dagadu has also been named a Schwarzman Scholar, joining the Class of 2026–27. The Schwarzman Scholarship is a fully funded one-year master’s degree program in global affairs at Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, focusing on leadership, global affairs, and China. At MIT, Dagadu researched enzyme-polymer systems for plastic degradation, earning the CellPress Rising Scientist Award. She is also the founder of Ishara, a venture aimed at improving recycling systems in Ghana by connecting informal waste pickers to more efficient structures, with potential for expansion into other developing markets. Dagadu has expressed interest in establishing a materials innovation hub in Africa to tackle waste-related challenges, including plastics and electronic waste.
Private legal practitioner and activist, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, has stated that a constitutional review could be the most defining legacy of President John Dramani Mahama. In a post on his X page on Friday, June 12, 2026, Barker-Vormawor argued that the 1992 Constitution has clear limitations, noting that while it established the Fourth Republic, it has "entrenched elitism at every level and made illusory the promise of probity, accountability and transparency." He suggested that the ideals of the June 4th era and revolutionary governance have not been fully realized under the current constitutional framework. Barker-Vormawor believes Ghana still has an opportunity to build a more inclusive “social democracy” through constitutional reforms. An eight-member Constitutional Review Committee has already submitted its report, proposing an extension of the presidential term from four to five years, election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives, and the inclusion of traditional chiefs in local government structures. The committee also calls for an end to the hybrid relationship between the executive and the legislature and reforms to reduce partisan influence in the public sector.