ECOWAS Parliament Enhances Fight Against Drugs and mental Health Disorders. Lead Delegation to Liberia
August 5, 2025
By Laymah Kollie
In a move to curtail drug and substance abuse in Africa, the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has led a high-level Parliamentary Sensitisation Outreach Mission on Psychoactive Substance Abuse and Mental Health delegation to create awareness on drug and mental health in Liberia.
The aim is to mobilize ECOWAS countries in creating a uniform fight against the harmful substance. It focuses on alerting stakeholders about the escalating challenges posed by substance abuse and mental health disorders, an increasingly pressing issue in West Africa.
The awareness campaign on drug abuse and mental health is schedule from 4 to 8 August 2025. The journey commenced today with a tour to key Ministries and Agencies.
The Parliament’s Delegation on today visited and met with Heads of the Ministry of Health, Education, Gender, Monrovia City Cooperation, Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency, Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Youth and Sports.
Head of Delegation, Hon. Orlando Pereira Dias, Member of Cape Verde Delegation to ECOWAS Parliament said the campaign aligns with ECOWAS’s ongoing efforts to build a resilient and united community that prioritizes the well-being of its youth.
He emphasized the danger drug and mental health continue to pose to the youthful population in ECOWAS region.
He informed the body that ECOWAS in a joint fight will intend to review all countries drug laws, strategized and form a single drug law which would apply to all its members’ States.
Receiving the Delegation, Minister of Health Dr. Jarso Jallah and others acknowledged President Joseph Boakai commitment s to the fight against drug and substance abuse. Dr. Jallah mentioned the Steering Committee set up by Pres. Boakai during his first State of Emergency Address as a step to fighting drugs abuse in Liberia.
In her statement, the committee is in the process of building a 350-bedroom hospital in Johnsonville to cater for mental health victims alongside drugs victims.
Meanwhile, the ECOWAS initiative follows similar campaigns previously held in Conakry (Guinea) and Freetown (Sierra Leone) in June 2025.
The delegation was accompanied by Liberia’s members of Parliament led by Senator Edwin Melvin Snowe, Representative Moima Biggs Mensah and Representative Samuel Enders. While in Liberia the delegation is also expected to visit youth in recovery (rehabilitation), civil society organizations, and local authorities, as well as, conduct field visits to specialized treatment centers.
