AFENET SIERRA LEONE

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Mental Health

Summary of the Mental Health National Survey

Sierra Leone, like many West African countries, has been battling with the challenge of controlling drug use, particularly over the last decade. This issue is partly attributed to the country’s prolonged civil war (1991–2002), the Ebola outbreak (2014–2016), the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2022), and heightened political and socio-economic factors. Drug use, especially among youths, has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of individuals, increased disease burdens, and perpetuated a vicious cycle of poverty. Despite the significance of this public health issue, the country lacks evidence-based findings to inform effective public health interventions. To address this gap, the Ministry of Health, with the support of the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) for technical and administrative aspects and funding provided by The Carter Center, carried out a nationwide clustered survey. The goal of this survey was to examine the burden, trends, and contributing factors of drug use, as well as its association with mental health conditions in Sierra Leone. AFENET undertook the following responsibilities in this study:

  1. AFENET provided technical support in developing the research proposal
  2. AFENET jointly led the coordination and administration of the research protocol
  3. AFENET jointly led the recruitment of data collectors (200) and supervisors (15), and the data collection process involving more than 16ooo respondents, from five randomly selected districts
  4. AFENET led the hiring process of a renowned data analyst consultant to carry out the data analysis process
  5. A staff from AFENET co-led the presentation of the findings to relevant stakeholders including the Honourable Minister of Health and the Honourable Minister of Information and Civic Education.

Successes and achievements

  1. All study participants were successfully interviewed, achieving a 100% response rate.
  2. The study was conducted within the designated time frame, September to December 2024.
  3. Community members were sensitized about the consequences of drug use during community engagement activities, and respondents were further educated on the dangers of drug use following each interview.
  4. The utilization of the Kobo-collect tool for data collection managed by AFENET was commendable, by providing technical support in troubleshooting devices, ensuring a seamless data collection process.
  5. The admin team of AFENET successfully managed the implementation of this study including logistics and payment of allowances to investigators, data collectors, and supervisors.
  6. The findings from the study, co-presented by staff from AFENET, offered valuable insights into the burden of drug use and its associated factors in Sierra Leone.