By Yunus S. Saliu
The National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) under The Gambia’s Ministry of Health (MoH) on Wednesday began a three-day stakeholders’ consultation on the Draft Mental Health Bill 2025, aimed at collecting technical input before its submission to Cabinet and subsequent tabling before the National Assembly.
The consultation, running from January 8 to 10, is being held at the ActionAid–The Gambia office along MDI Road in Kanifing. It has brought together representatives from government institutions, civil society organisations, professional bodies, academia, service user groups, the media, and development partners.
Opening the forum, the Director of Health Services, Dr. Momodou T. Nyassi, described the engagement as a major milestone in efforts to strengthen the country’s health system and reform mental health governance.
He noted that mental health has, for decades, remained under-resourced and weakly regulated, leaving vulnerable populations without adequate protection and quality services.
“As we consider this Bill, we are charting a new course—one that places dignity, rights, and access at the centre of mental health care,” Dr. Nyassi said.
He explained that the Draft Mental Health Bill provides a unified legislative framework for mental health, neurological, and substance-use services, while safeguarding the rights and freedoms of persons living with these conditions. According to him, the Bill aligns with international standards while remaining culturally appropriate and feasible for the Gambian context.
Dr. Nyassi further highlighted provisions for the establishment of a national coordination body to oversee governance, coordination, and accountability of mental health services nationwide.
He also underscored the Bill’s rights-based approach, which guarantees community living, confidentiality, informed consent, protection from cruel or degrading treatment, and access to education, housing, employment, and legal aid.
On behalf of the Minister of Health and the Ministry’s senior management, Dr. Nyassi expressed appreciation to the World Health Organization (WHO) for its technical and financial support throughout the drafting process.
Representing the WHO Country Office, Emergency Preparedness and Response Officer Momodou Barrow reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting The Gambia in modernising its mental health legislation.
He said the Bill responds to the urgent need to update existing laws that no longer reflect current realities in service delivery, rights protection, and best practices in mental health care.
According to him, the consultation provides an opportunity for stakeholders to offer practical recommendations to ensure the legislation is clear, implementable, and responsive to national needs.
Earlier, the Programme Manager of the National Mental Health Programme and National Technical Lead for the Bill’s development, Jarra Marega, said the Draft Mental Health Bill 2025 is the outcome of years of technical work and broad-based collaboration.
She explained that the Bill has evolved through several iterations since 2014, with each version refined to ensure it is enforceable, rights-based, and operational.
Marega said the proposed legislation introduces safeguards on involuntary admission and compulsory treatment, integrates mental health services into primary healthcare, schools, prisons, and community programmes, and mandates the establishment of community mental health teams, rehabilitation centres, and psychosocial support mechanisms during emergencies.
“The Bill is intended to transform mental health care in The Gambia by protecting dignity, expanding access, and creating a sustainable and accountable system,” she said.
Also speaking at the event, President of the Health Journalists Association of The Gambia (HeJAG), Sally Jarju, highlighted the media’s role in mental health advocacy, public education, stigma reduction, and accountability.
She called on the Ministry of Health to invest in capacity building for journalists to promote accurate, ethical, and responsible reporting on mental health issues as the Bill progresses toward enactment and implementation.
The Draft Mental Health Bill 2025 is expected to repeal the Lunatic Detention Act of 1917, an outdated law that uses derogatory terminology. Once enacted, it will establish a Directorate of Mental Health Services, integrate mental health into all levels of healthcare, and provide legal protection against discrimination in employment, education, and healthcare.