In a speech on World Autism Awareness Day, the Director of Social Welfare in Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Social Welfare commended the Sierra Leone Autistic Society NGO and committed the Ministry’s support.
“Francis Kabia pointed out that the Ministry is very committed to see that they render their support to organizations working in the interest of people living with disability, furthering that although they have disabilities, they should not be discriminated against but rather should be seen as useful children in society.
He urged other institutions and NGOs to come onboard and spread the awareness level of Autism in Sierra Leone saying supporting children and people with Autism is very expensive, so collective collaboration is a huge boost in tackling the issue of Autism in the country.”
Source: Africa Young Voices (AYV) News: “Sierra Leone commemorates World Autism Awareness Day”, 9 May 2023, last accessed: 24 July 2023
"Giving the keynote address, […] Francis Kabia expressed appreciation to the Sierra Leone Autism Society for their tremendous work towards supporting children with autism in the country. He said that even though the Ministry has been working towards the development of persons with disabilities in the country, they are still not satisfied [...] he pledged the Ministry’s commitment towards supporting the initiatives of the Sierra Leone Autism Society in order to give persons with disabilities better lives in society.”
Source: The Calabash newspaper: “Sierra Leone Autism Society Commemorates World Autism Awareness Day”, 3 May 2023, last accessed: 24 July 2023
The US Department of State Country Report on Human Rights Practices includes reporting on the situation for persons with disabilities in Sierra Leone.
"Persons with disabilities could access education, health services, and transportation on an equal basis with others. The law mandates access to these services, and prohibits discrimination against persons with physical, sensory, intellectual, and mental disabilities in employment and provision of state services, including judicial services. The government-funded National Commission for Persons with Disabilities-Sierra Leone (CPWD-SL) is charged with protecting the rights and promoting the welfare of persons with disabilities. The CPWD-SL stated the government did not effectively enforce the law or implement programs to make buildings, information, and communications accessible. In view of the high rate of general unemployment, work opportunities for persons with disabilities were even more limited, and begging was commonplace. […]
The CPWD-SL reported considerable discrimination against persons with mental disabilities. Most persons with mental disabilities received no treatment or public services. At the Sierra Leone Psychiatric Hospital in Kissy, the only inpatient psychiatric institution that served persons with mental disabilities, authorities reported only one consulting psychiatrist was available, patients were not provided sufficient food or sanitation facilities, and restraints were primitive and dehumanizing.
The Ministry of Health and Sanitation is responsible for providing free primary health-care services to persons with polio and diabetic retinopathy as well as to blind or deaf persons. The ministry did not provide these services consistently, and organizations reported many persons with disabilities had limited access to medical and rehabilitative care. The Ministry of Social Welfare has a mandate to provide policy oversight for problems affecting persons with disabilities but had limited capacity to do so.”
Source: US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor: “2022 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Sierra Leone”, 20 March 2023, p. 22, last accessed: 24 July 2023
The UN Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD) produced a programme proposal on Advancing Disability Inclusion in Sierra Leone in 2022, which highlighted some of the current issues.
“[…] Even though the country passed a Persons with Disabilities Act (PWDA) in 2011, implementation has been hampered by lack of knowledge among duty beaers and weak capacity of OPDs for advocacy. […]
Best available data from 2015 show 93,000 persons with disabilities (1.3% of the total population), but this is thought to be grossly underestimated. The gender breakdown is 56% male and 46% female. The greatest daily challenges facing this group include poverty and homelessness for many. […]
A clear geographical disparity in the distribution of resources was identified, as most persons with disabilities live in the provinces while resources available to them are concentrated in the capital of Freetown. Improving nationwide monitoring of disability inclusion-related SDG [sustainable development goals], that includes feedback mechanism for OPDs to provide input, will help to highlight these disparities to that resources can be channeled more equitably.
Although the original PWDA foresees establishment of a Disability Fund, it is still not yet operational and there is no agreement on how it should function, where it should be based, and what should be the source of funds. […]”
Source: UNPRPD: “R4 programme Proposal Sierra Leone Nov 22 – Advancing Disability Inclusion in Sierra Leone”, pp. 1-3, last accessed: 8 August 2023
In a speech at an event for the 2022 World Autism Awareness Day the Minister of Social Welfare of Sierra Leone acknowledged a lack of awareness in the country and urged everyone to work to address this along with NGOs.
"Giving the keynote address, the Honorable Minister of Social Welfare, Baindu Dassama Kamara, acknowledged her delight to see such programs being organized to advocate for children who are suffering from Autism. [...]
She furthered that in Sierra Leone, autism is the forgotten reality unlike other countries that provide special care and teachers for children with autistic behavior. She went on to say that the awareness level in Sierra Leone is so low that people are not well informed about Autism, and so it is the responsibility of everyone to bring it to life, talk about the reality of Autism, ensure a safe environment for people living with Autism. […]
She concluded by saying that it is not just about gathering for events and giving big speeches, but rather she urged everyone to put their words into action and work with other organizations to help make life comfortable for children living with autism.
She thanked Orange-SL on behalf of the government for creating a helpline 504, and urged every Sierra Leonean to report cases that relate to Autism.”
Source: The Owl newspaper: “As They Celebrate 2022 World Autism Awareness… ORANGE-SL Launches Autism Helpline”, 11 April 2022, last accessed: 24 July 2023
In a June 2020 news article, President Bio was quoted as acknowledging the need for heavy government investment in healthcare treatment for a number of conditions, including autism.
"At the commissioning ceremony of the renovated Sierra Leone Psychiatric Teaching Hospital (SLPTH) Complex at Kissy in Freetown on Thursday 4 June 2020 President Bio registered that mental health intervention is within his Government’s overarching human capital development priority. […]
‘[…] events and beyond have induced conditions from post-traumatic stress disorder and grief, to anxiety, depression, psychosis, acute stress, and harmful substance abuse. Combine this with autism, epilepsy, bipolar and psychotic disorders, intellectual and cognitive disabilities, and more, and we recognise that as a nation we must act now. We must invest heavily in mental healthcare.
[…] We know that persons with mental health needs and their families, in cases, are subjected to severe discrimination, stigma, harassment, and victimisation. Their constitutional rights and their security are not guaranteed. Because of cultural insensitivities, children are often not educated and abandoned to a life of vagrancy, abuse, and early death.’”
Source: The Calabash Newspaper: “Govt. Registers Commitment to Invest More in Mental Health Issues”, 8 June 2020, last accessed: 8 August 2023
At the December 2017 Pan-African Experiences of Autism Conference a parent gave her perspective on seeking support for her autistic child.
"4.5 Parent/Carer Perspective I: Dr Virginia George, Sierra Leone
[…] Our country has a special needs school but unfortunately, we did not benefit from the services of this institution as the school had a lot of constraints and was hardly functioning.
I was fortunate to benefit from training for medical officers, selected from all districts in Sierra Leone, since our government has integrated CAMH care into Primary Health Care. This training helped me to understand my daughter’s condition and to better manage it.
May I take this opportunity to use this forum to appeal to our government to improve on existing policies and put in place effective implementation mechanisms to actualise a more tangible and practical manifestation of social support for patients with autism.”
Source: Stepping Forward UK: “Pan-African Experiences of Autism: Transforming Rights into Reality, Report of Conference held at: The British Council, Freetown, Sierra Leone, December 2017”, December 2017, p. 15, last accessed: 8 August 2023