By: Saidu Jalloh, Daily Scope Reporter
The government has introduced a new regulatory framework to standardize the treatment and rehabilitation of drug-use disorders, aiming to curb the rise of unregulated centres and improve care for people affected by substance addiction.
Minister of Internal Affairs, AIG (Rtd.) Morie Lengor, launched the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s Drug-Use Disorder Treatment and Rehabilitation Regulatory Framework alongside the agency’s first official website at a ceremony in Freetown.
The framework establishes uniform protocols for care, with the goal of expanding access to evidence-based psychosocial services and improving recovery outcomes nationwide.
Speaking at the event, Lengor said the launch addressed two critical steps: making the NDLEA’s services more publicly accessible through its new website and setting clear standards for treatment and rehabilitation across the country.
He said the intervention was timely given three urgent challenges: the spread of dangerous synthetic drugs, the unchecked growth of rehabilitation centres operating without oversight, and the circulation of false information about drugs on social media.
The document, he explained, is grounded in the 2008 National Drug Control Act, which created the NDLEA and mandated it to lead interventions on illicit drugs, including treatment and rehabilitation services.
NDLEA Executive Director Andrew Jaiah Kaikai outlined the policy reforms under the framework, saying they would tighten oversight and raise standards of quality, safety, and compliance at treatment facilities. He also acknowledged the joint work of the Sierra Leone Police and the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces special unit in tackling substance abuse.
Launching the website, Deputy National Security Coordinator Dr. Ahmed A. Sannoh, representing NSCORD, called the development a major milestone in the national response to substance abuse and youth vulnerability. He stressed the link between public health and national security in addressing the crisis.
Officials said the framework is expected to strengthen licensing and monitoring, enforce ethical standards, promote professionalism, and protect vulnerable people seeking treatment. It is also intended to restore public confidence in rehabilitation services across Sierra Leone.
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