World Brain Day 2025: A Call to Prioritize Mental Health

World Brain Day, marked each year on July 22, draws global attention to the importance of brain health as a core part of human well-being. The 2025 theme, Brain Health for All Ages, highlights the need for inclusive, equitable access to brain health services across one’s life course. For Ghana, this is a timely and urgent call to address persistent gaps in mental and neurological healthcare.

Brain health encompasses the full range of brain functions such as cognitive, emotional, sensory, behavioral, and motor that enable individuals to learn, work, relate to others, and age with dignity. Mental and neurological conditions such as epilepsy, stroke, depression, and dementia can emerge at any point in life. Without proper care, they lead to significant disability, lost productivity, and preventable deaths. In Ghana, limited access to services, ongoing stigma, and a lack of public awareness continue to delay diagnosis and treatment.

Globally, over 3 billion people are affected by neurological disorders. More than 80 percent of the burden is concentrated in low- and middle-income countries. Ghana faces this challenge with limited resources. The country has very few trained mental health professionals, and services are concentrated in urban areas. Despite the passage of the Mental Health Act in 2012, implementation remains slow, and funding for the Mental Health Authority is inadequate. Many people continue to rely on informal care, often with harmful consequences.

The lack of early intervention and sustained support fuels school dropouts, unemployment, poverty, family breakdown, and social exclusion. Yet brain health receives a fraction of the attention given to other public health issues.

The 2025 campaign aligns with global commitments such as the WHO Intersectoral Global Action Plan and the Sustainable Development Goal 3. These frameworks call for national investment in mental health systems, community-based care, public education, and legislative enforcement. Ghana must respond by strengthening mental health infrastructure, integrating brain health into primary care, expanding training, and investing in public education to reduce stigma. Protection for vulnerable groups especially children, adolescents, and older adults must also be prioritized through early screening and targeted interventions.

Mental and neurological health is not a side issue. It is central to national development, human rights, and social progress. World Brain Day 2025 offers Ghana a clear moment to act by investing in mental health, closing gaps in care, and ensuring that every person, regardless of age, can access the support they need to thrive.