By Kemo Cham
Sierra Leone has been battling a drug epidemic that has ravaged many young people, especially among the school going class.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Sierra Leone on June 20th organized a Health Walk as part of commemoration of World Drugs Day 2026. The anti-drug agency and its partners processed through the streets of Freetown to raise awareness on the dangers of drug and substance abuse.
World Drug Day, officially known as the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, is observed annually on June 26. The day was established by the United Nations General Assembly with the aim of raising awareness about the global drug crisis and to strengthen international action to achieve a society free of drug abuse.
Sierra Leone has been battling a drug epidemic that has ravaged many young people, especially among the school going class.
NDLEA said Saturday’s event was the first in a series of activities it lined up as part of commemoration of this year’s occasion, which is being held on the global theme: “World drug problem: persisting issues, new challenges, innovative responses.”
Staff of NDLEA, headed by its Executive Director Andrew Jaiah Kaikai, were joined by partners from relevant institutions and civil society on a march from Bus Halt, opposite the National Stadium, to the Aberdeen Beach. Along the route, the team engage residents on the dangers of drug abuse and encouraging young people in particular on making healthy and responsible choices in life.
At the Aberdeen Beach, where the procession ended, various speakers took turn to admonish those in attendance on their role in the fight against drugs as their contribution to nation building.
This year’s commemoration comes as Sierra Leone clocks two years battling a drug epidemic that has ravaged many young people across the country. The government in April 2024 declared a public health emergency on drugs and substance abuse.
Prince Bull-Luseni, Deputy Executive Director of NDLEA, told ManoReporters that the march was one of the pre-activities for the commemoration of the day on June 26th. He noted that it offered a unique platform to raise awareness to a larger audience, including sharing of information on the pathways to services.
“We have done school awareness raising on the dangers on drug abuse. Today is a health walk. We invited other partners and civil society to join us. We invited rehab facilities and people who are struggling to overcome substance abuse problem,” he said. “It is an opportunity to take the message against drug abuse to a larger audience.”
Officials said the march reflects the Government’s commitment to tackling the growing drug challenge and protecting the well-being of its citizens, particularly the youth.
“The NDLEA expresses its sincere appreciation to all partners, government institutions, civil society organizations, the media, youth groups, and members of the public who participated in and supported the walk,” the agency said in a statement after the walk.
“This overwhelming turnout demonstrates that the fight against drug abuse is a shared responsibility requiring unity and continuous action.”
Among the participants were staff of Social Linkages for Youth Development and Child Link (SLYDCL), which provided mass testing for persons with substance abuse problem on the side lines of the event at the beach. Mustapha Keller, Harm Reduction Lead at SLYDCL, said beyond the opportunity to education the public, people with substance abuse problem, especially drug users who inject drug, had the opportunity to get tested for infectious diseases associated with their lifestyles, like HIV, Syphilis and Hepatitis.
“It is important for us to conduct this testing for especially those who inject drug – HIV is highly prevent among them,” said Keller.
He added: “It is not easy for a drug user to take upon themselves to visit a health facility to do test. And we see that they shy away from health facilities because of stigma.”
