Amnesty International warned in a new report published today 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.

In the report on the long-term mental health impact of war and Ebola in Sierra Leone, survivors reveal how they continue to struggle with a range of symptoms of distress, including lasting grief.

However, mental health services in the country fall far short of meeting people’s needs, due to multiple significant barriers.

These 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.

Deborah Amuwo reports.