Chairman of VINT and Aletheia Attorneys and Consultants, a boutique law firm based in Accra, Ghana, with an office in New York, USA, Kow Abaka Essuman, has emphasised the need for a national awakening on mental health. He has called on Ghanaians from all walks of life to view mental well-being as a shared human responsibility rather than a personal struggle.
He made the call while delivering his opening remarks at the 2025 Wholesome Mind Summit, held in Accra to mark World Mental Health Day at the Labadi Beach Hotel on Friday, October 10, 2025. Speaking at The Wholesome Mind Xperience 2025, which coincided with the observance of World Mental Health Day (WMHD), Ekow Essuman underscored the urgent need for accessible mental health services across all communities. He noted that this year’s WMHD theme, “Access to Service: Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies,” reminds us of a truth that is often overlooked: emergencies not only destroy buildings, homes, and infrastructure; they also disrupt minds, emotions, and communities.
Mr. Essuman described the annual gathering as “a bold vision placed on the heart of one woman, Lady-Ann Essuman,” who serves as Managing Attorney of Aletheia Attorneys & Consultants. He said Lady-Ann dared to ask a question that too few were asking: “How can we change the way Ghana, and indeed Africa, talk about mental health?”
The Summit
According to Mr. Essuman, the Wholesome Mind Summit was born out of faith, persistence, and divine purpose. “When God gives you a big vision,” he told the audience, “you sometimes wonder how it will all come together; how you will find the strength, the people, and the resources to bring it to life. But as we look around this room today, and reflect on the journey of the past few years, we can clearly see that when purpose meets faith and persistence, everything falls into place.”
He noted that what began as a simple idea to raise awareness has evolved into a full-fledged movement for national and international collaboration on mental health advocacy. Through consistent work and partnerships, he said, the Wholesome Mind Initiative has achieved significant milestones — notably the transformation of the Special Ward of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital into Ghana’s first Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).
“From a campaign of awareness, this has become a projection of hope,” he said, “one that reflects our collective belief that mental health must be treated with dignity, compassion, and urgency.”
Mr. Essuman highlighted the firm’s personal connection to the cause, explaining that their experience at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital during the “Show You Love” campaign on February 14 revealed the urgent need for legal professionals to contribute to policy reforms and advocacy in the mental health space. “One will ask, what business do lawyers have with mental health?” he posed. “But lawyers deal with all kinds of human problems, both professionally and personally, and so it became more obvious why lawyers need to be in this space to help drive the kind of policy and laws we need to make sure people take care of their mental health.”
Success
He credited the success of the initiative to a network of devoted partners, including the Mental Health Authority, the World Health Organization, Accra Psychiatric Hospital, CalBank, KPMG, and international collaborators such as the Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth in the United States.
Mr. Essuman further called on participants to sustain the momentum through compassion and action in their various spheres of influence.
“As we open this year’s Summit, let us remember that we each have a role to play in sustaining this work by nurturing compassion in our workplaces, our homes, and our communities,” he stated
He further noted, “When God gives a vision, it is not for one person alone. It is for a generation. And today, we are that generation — called to heal, to build, and to remind every Ghanaian that mental health is not a weakness, but a shared human strength.”
