The lingering shadow of Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone




Sierra Leone - Hassan sits silently and stares into the distance, he has tired of brushing his hair and an upright comb is tangled into the back of his curls. The 17-year-old speaks quietly, using few words in a calm and gentle manner, but people in his community are scared of him.

They say he is crazy and fear what he might do next. A few days ago he was seen screaming and dancing on the spot, and not long before that he had dressed in his sister's clothes. Then, of course, there are the times when he sits alone and talks to himself in incoherent mumbles.

Hassan is just one of many Sierra Leoneans whose mental health suffered as a result of the Ebola virus and without the necessary support it has gradually deteriorated over the past year.

One year ago, President Ernest Bai Koroma solemnly took to the airwaves to announce the end of the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone, as confirmed by the World Health Organization.

The disease, which killed more than 3,580 people in 18 months, left behind a legacy of psychological suffering which is little discussed and under-supported. The nation has only 21 mental health nurses and one elderly psychiatrist for a population of more than 6 million.

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