By Kadijatu Bangura, Daily Scope Reporter
All government-operated drug rehabilitation centers have been shut down due to a lack of funding, halting essential treatment for thousands of individuals struggling with addiction to the synthetic drug kush.
The facilities in Hastings and Gondama were closed after the last group of patients was discharged in July 2025, and a planned center in Daru has also failed to open. The Ministry of Social Welfare has confirmed that there are currently no financial resources available from the government or external partners to sustain rehabilitation services.
This closure creates a significant void in the nation’s response to what has been declared a public health emergency. In early 2024, President Julius Maada Bio declared a national emergency regarding drug and substance abuse in an effort to mobilize resources. However, the government has since been unable to finance the essential services needed to address this crisis.
“Young people are vulnerable, and they are out there perishing. Rehabilitation plays a key role,” stated Ansumana Konneh, Director of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services at the Ministry of Social Welfare, in an interview with Truth Media.
The shutdown has had dire consequences in the past; during a previous closure from September 2024 to February 2025, several individuals on waiting lists died before they could receive treatment.
According to data from the Ministry, only 400 individuals have received rehabilitation since the president’s emergency declaration, despite an estimated 5,000 people urgently needing treatment. The Ministry’s current model requires funding to admit a full batch of 50 patients at a time, which has led to dangerous delays and inadequate coverage.
While the Chairman of the National Task Force on Drug and Substance Abuse has pledged funds to admit 40 young people at the Daru center, all other facilities remain unfunded and inactive. The continued disruption of services leaves families to cope with severe medical and psychological needs without formal support, worsening the social and economic impact of the ongoing kush epidemic.
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