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Four hundred and seventy-six (476) mentally challenged persons have been identified in all the twelve (12) Municipal and District Assemblies in the Bono Region by the Bono Regional Health Directorate.

This came to light after the Regional Health Directorate carried out an exercise to identify the total number of mentally ill persons in the region.

Per statistics from the Regional Health Directorate, the figure is made up of more females than men.

According to Dr. Joseph Yere, the Medical Officer in charge of the Bono Regional Mental Health Unit, the leading causes of mental health cases in the region have been identified as economic hardship, unemployment, depression, alcoholism, drug abuse, and divorce.

“We have identified 476 vagrants in all in the Bono Region. By vagrants, I mean those roaming in the streets. The number is made up of more females compared to men. The leading causes of mental illness include economic hardship, unemployment, depression, alcoholism, drug abuse, and divorce.”

Dr. Joseph Yere revealed that the practice where vagrants roam the streets poses a higher risk to the general public and the vagrants themselves so the Health Directorate has presented a proposal to the Bono Regional Co-ordinating Council to treat them and get them off the streets.

He however disclosed that the efforts of the Health Directorate towards dealing with mental health issues are hampered by inadequate funds and has appealed to the government to financially equip the mental health unit for them to effectively deliver on their mandate.