Ghana Health Service, BasicNeeds-Ghana donate GH₵700,000 worth of equipment to 42 health facilities
Story by: Regina Bless
The Ghana Health Service (GHS), in partnership with BasicNeeds-Ghana and other stakeholders, has provided equipment valued at approximately GH₵700,000 to 42 health facilities across Ghana to improve maternal counselling services and promote mental health and psychosocial well-being among women and girls.
The equipment, which includes desks, chairs, cooling units and privacy screens, was handed over by BasicNeeds-Ghana to the Ghana Health Service at the organisation’s headquarters in Tamale on October 7, 2026.
The intervention seeks to establish more private, comfortable and supportive counselling spaces for pregnant women, adolescent girls and newly delivered mothers, particularly those living with or at risk of HIV and tuberculosis (TB), as well as survivors of gender-based violence.
42 Health Facilities to Benefit
The beneficiary facilities comprise 14 district hospitals and 28 sub-district and community health facilities. Of the 42 facilities, 36 are operated by the Ghana Health Service, while the remaining facilities include those managed by the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG).
The donated equipment is expected to improve the delivery of counselling services by providing healthcare workers with appropriate spaces to engage patients confidentially, assess their mental health needs and offer psychosocial support.
The intervention also aims to strengthen the integration of mental healthcare into routine maternal and child health services, ensuring that women and girls receive support during pregnancy and after childbirth.
GHS Director-General Highlights Importance of Maternal Mental Health
Speaking at the handover ceremony, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Samuel Akoriyea Kaba, emphasised the importance of mental health and psychosocial support during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
He noted that mental well-being was essential to improving maternal and child health outcomes, citing estimates that between 32 and 50 per cent of pregnant women, adolescent girls and postpartum mothers in Ghana experience mental health conditions.
Dr Kaba said the figures highlighted the need for early screening, counselling and appropriate referrals to ensure that affected women and girls receive timely and effective care.
He disclosed that more than 1,304 healthcare workers, including 782 women, had been trained under the initiative to identify mental health needs and provide appropriate care to women and girls requiring support.
The GHS Director-General commended BasicNeeds-Ghana for its contribution to strengthening mental healthcare delivery and urged beneficiary facilities to maintain the donated equipment properly to ensure its continued use.
He also highlighted the National Maternal Mental Health Policy, launched in April 2026, as a significant step towards integrating mental health and psychosocial support into maternal and child healthcare, including services for people receiving HIV and TB treatment.
17,799 Women and Girls Screened Under the Project
The Executive Director of BasicNeeds-Ghana, Dr Peter Badimak Yaro, explained that the project was designed to address gaps in mental health and psychosocial support for vulnerable women and girls during pregnancy and after childbirth.
According to Dr Yaro, a total of 17,799 pregnant women, adolescent girls and newly delivered mothers had been screened under the project. Of this number, 7,261 were identified as requiring short-term psychosocial support.
He called on the government to increase investment in mental healthcare, stressing that inadequate funding and limited access to services continued to affect vulnerable groups, particularly women and adolescents.
The screening exercise highlights the importance of identifying mental health concerns early and ensuring that individuals who need assistance are connected to appropriate counselling and treatment services.
Development Partners Support Mental Healthcare Delivery
The project is being implemented with funding support from Expertise France, in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service, the Ghana Mental Health Authority, CHAG, the Centre for People’s Empowerment and Rights Initiatives (CPRI), and the Mental Health Society of Ghana (MEHSOG).
The collaboration brings together health institutions, civil society organisations and development partners to strengthen access to mental health and psychosocial services, particularly for women and girls who may face barriers to receiving appropriate care.
By integrating these services into primary healthcare, the initiative seeks to make mental health support more accessible and ensure that emotional and psychological well-being receives attention alongside physical health.
Improving Privacy, Dignity and Quality of Maternal Care
The improved counselling spaces are expected to help healthcare workers provide services in environments that respect patients’ privacy, dignity and emotional well-being.
The availability of appropriate furniture, cooling units and privacy screens will support confidential discussions, early identification of mental health conditions and timely referrals for further care where necessary.
The initiative forms part of broader efforts to improve maternal and child healthcare in Ghana by recognising mental health as an essential component of care during pregnancy and after childbirth.
Through continued collaboration between the Ghana Health Service, BasicNeeds-Ghana and its partners, the intervention is expected to strengthen healthcare workers’ capacity to respond to mental health needs and improve access to psychosocial support for vulnerable women and girls across the country.