Health Minister Dr. Austin Demby has urged Parliament to pass the Mental Health Bill, 2026, citing research that estimated that 1.25 million Sierra Leoneans were living with a mental health condition in 2023.
He told lawmakers that an estimated 98% of people with severe mental illness received no treatment. Demby cited the Global Burden of Disease study during a parliamentary debate on Thursday, 12 November. He also pointed to a shortage of specialist staff.
The ministry’s 2026 figures show Sierra Leone has four psychiatrists. There are seven doctors training in psychiatry and 35 mental health nurses. The bill would repeal the colonial-era Lunacy Ordinance of 1902. It would replace that law with one aimed at improving access to mental health care.
It would also protect patients’ rights. It proposes appointing district mental health coordinators, setting standards for care facilities and strengthening safeguards against abuse, unlawful restraint and arbitrary detention. Parliament has referred the bill for committee review, where lawmakers will examine it clause by clause.
During the debate, opposition Minority Whip Abdul Karim Kamara called for more funding for mental health services. Salone Messenger
