AWE Media Sierra Leone

By: Kemo Cham The Africa Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Monday September 15th convened a high level stakeholders’ meeting in Freetown, with the objective of rallying support for the enactment of a modern mental health legislation in Sierra Leone. A draft bill in the making for over 15 years, led by the Ministry of Health (MoH), is already before lawmakers. If passed, it will repeal a colonial era law campaigners say is not only overly outdated, but also serves as barrier to access to mental services in the country. This initiative by Africa CDC is part of implementation of the African Union’s strategy on mental health, which seeks to strengthen mental health systems, improve service access, reduce stigma and develop leadership and policy capacity in member countries. And it is a crucial part of the African Union's Agenda 2063 development blueprint. The Freetown engagement held at the Atlantic Lumley Hotel in Aberdeen is one of several activities being u...