Sierra Leone government must prioritise mental health, says Amnesty international
Sierra Leone must prioritise mental health to address the legacy of war and the Ebola epidemic, says rights advocacy group Amnesty International.
CAPE TOWN, May 25 (ANA) – Sierra Leone must prioritise mental health to address the legacy of war and the Ebola epidemic, rights advocacy group Amnesty International said.
In a recent report, the group said that survivors of traumatic experiences and others in need of support in Sierra Leone are being failed by the severe lack of available mental health services, years after the country’s brutal civil war and devastating Ebola epidemic.
The group said that a combination of barriers contribute to the country falling short on taking care of the mental health of citizens, which include a lack of government spending, insufficient donor support, a shortage of skilled mental health professionals, and the few available services being concentrated primarily in cities.
“In Sierra Leone, people have endured horrific traumas in recent decades and the country is now also dealing with the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Amnesty International’s Senior Crisis Advisor Rawya Rageh.
Mental health remains a taboo topic on the continent, with several African states not recognising the crisis as serious as any other disease.
More than 13 percent of the global burden of disease is due to disorders such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and substance abuse.
According to not-for-profit media outlet the Conversation, almost three-quarters of this burden lies in low- and middle-income countries, because of extremely scarce health resources and investment.
The organisation said that the Sierra Leonean government must translate its policy commitments into tangible action by investing in improving mental health services.
Further to this Amnesty International is also calling on the government of Sierra Leone to expedite the process of passing new mental health legislation to replace the discriminatory colonial-era ‘Lunacy Act’ of 1902, in order to bring national law into line with international human rights obligations.
– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Devereaux Morkel
