The Ministry of Health, through the National Mental Health Programme and in collaboration with the World Health Organization, has last week convened a three‑day stakeholder engagement from 8–10 January 2026 on the Mental Health Bill, 2025.
This progressive Bill will repeal the outdated Lunatics Detention Act of 1917 and introduce a modern, rights‑based, community‑focused framework that protects dignity, strengthens governance, and integrates mental health services into communities, schools, prisons, and healthcare facilities across the country.
Guided by contributions from international experts, the Bill has been carefully aligned with global best practice while remaining practical and culturally appropriate for The Gambia. It is designed to transform mental health care by embedding services within communities, safeguarding dignity, and creating a framework that is sustainable, accountable, and inclusive.
This engagement represents one of the final steps before the Bill is submitted to Cabinet and subsequently to the National Assembly for consideration as a Mental Health Law. When enacted, it will repeal the Lunatics Detention Act of 1917, a nine‑page document that, regrettably, referred to Gambians living with mental health conditions as “lunatics.” For too long, mental health has been under‑resourced and under‑regulated. With this Bill, The Gambia is charting a new course that places dignity, rights, and access at the very centre of care
