Parliament just approved Bill No. 17 of 2025 for Mental Health, replacing the old Mental Treatment Act from 1948. The new law moves from medical-only care to a human rights approach that respects patients' dignity. It also creates a Mental Health Board that will oversee treatment, help people recover, and protect their rights.
Health Minister Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda told lawmakers the bill brings fresh ways to treat people with mental health problems. She explained mental health cases keep rising across Malawi because of money troubles, long-term sickness, plus stress. The law guarantees important rights for people with mental conditions - they must be recognized legally, can work, deserve fair treatment, need information access, and should receive top-quality care. Patients or their helpers must agree before any treatment starts. All mental health institutions must keep patients safe but also protect everyone else around them.
Health Minister Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda told lawmakers the bill brings fresh ways to treat people with mental health problems. She explained mental health cases keep rising across Malawi because of money troubles, long-term sickness, plus stress. The law guarantees important rights for people with mental conditions - they must be recognized legally, can work, deserve fair treatment, need information access, and should receive top-quality care. Patients or their helpers must agree before any treatment starts. All mental health institutions must keep patients safe but also protect everyone else around them.
