2019 MENTAL HEALTH DAY PRESS STATEMENT

2019 MENTAL HEALTH DAY PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  Recognising Legal Capacity – key to Suicide Prevention 10th October, 2019 LUSAKA -Disability rights advocacy organisations, The Mental Health Users of Zambia (MHUNZA) and Disability Rights Watch (DRW) join global observance of Mental Health Day under the theme suicide prevention. Zambia has continued to lose lives to suicide; depriving the country…

Policy Belief-An Urgent Call for the Repeal of Section 4 of the 2019 Mental Health Act

Section 4 of the Mental Health Act 6 of 2019 removes the fundamental right to legal capacity. It removes the legal personhood of persons with psychosocial disabilities. Within the Mental Health Act, section 4 is used to violate the right to health of persons with mental and psychosocial disabilities, including by institutionalising substituted decision-making in healthcare decisions. Beyond the Mental…

Policy Belief-An Urgent Call for the Repeal of Section 4 of the 2019 Mental Health Act

Section 4 of the Mental Health Act 6 of 2019 removes the fundamental right to legal capacity. It removes the legal personhood of persons with psychosocial disabilities. Within the Mental Health Act, section 4 is used to violate the right to health of persons with mental and psychosocial disabilities, including by institutionalising substituted decision-making in healthcare decisions. Beyond the Mental…

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL SERVICES ON THE MENTAL HEALTH BILL, N.A.B. NO. 1 OF 2019 FOR THE THIRD SESSION OF THE TWELFTH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY.

The report from the Committee on health, community development and social services highlights the concerns raised by key stakeholders on mental health. It also highlights the observations and recommendations made by the committee. Different stakeholders appeared before the committee and Disability Rights Watch was among them. stakeholders raised a number of concerns to that the bill serve its intended purpose….

Mental Health Act No. 6 of 2019

The President of Zambia His Excellence Mr. Edgar C Lungu  on 11th April, 2019 assented the Mental Health Act in the quest to promote and protect the lives of persons with Mental health issues. The mental Health Act No. 6 of 2019 is An Act to provide for the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with mental illness, mental…

Submission to the Committee on Health, Community Development and Social Services on the Ramification of the Mental Health Bill No. 1 2019

Following the approval of the Mental Health Bill No. 1 of 2019 to be tabled in parliament by the Zambia cabinet ministers. Disability Rights Watch  made a written and oral submission before the Parliamentary Committee on health, Community Development and Social Services on 25th February, 2019. Download the submission FINAL DRW SUBMISSION TO PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND…