By Joseph S. Momoh Jr — Diaspora 6th Region Secretary General aspirant (APC)
A country under a new kind of siege
Sierra Leone is facing a public-health and social emergency unlike the ones we have routinely discussed. Since roughly 2022, a synthetic drug commonly called kush has spread rapidly across Freetown and into other parts of the country and the sub-region, producing mass addiction, psychiatric harm, and dozens — possibly hundreds — of deaths. Independent chemical testing has shown that many kush samples contain highly potent synthetic opioids (nitazenes) and synthetic cannabinoids — a combination that dramatically raises the risk of overdose and long-term brain injury.
From ‘zombies’ on the streets to overwhelmed wards — why Sierra Leone needs an APC-style, evidence-led recovery from the kush epidemic.
What the facts say (short, sourced summary)
- Origin & spread: Researchers and investigative reports trace the emergence of kush to Sierra Leone around 2022; it has since been found across West Africa. Chemical tests on retail samples in Sierra Leone found frequent presence of nitazenes and synthetic cannabinoids. Global Initiative+1
- Composition & danger: Laboratory analysis shows kush is not a single, consistent substance. Many samples contain nitazene-class synthetic opioids (far more potent than heroin or fentanyl) and/or synthetic cannabinoids — sometimes mixed into plant material with household chemicals. These mixtures are unpredictable and lethal at small doses. Global Initiative+1
- Human cost & system strain: Clinical staff and psychiatric wards in Freetown report large proportions of admissions tied to kush. The WHO and Sierra Leone health authorities documented large stakeholder mobilisations and have been supporting a national taskforce and response after the President declared a national emergency.
“Dr Abdul Jalloh, head of the Sierra Leone Psychiatric Hospital, welcomed the emergency declaration and called it a crucial step…,” — reporting on local clinical leadership’s reaction. Reuters
Insufficient chemical surveillance and laboratory capacity. Early on the response lacked routine, local forensic testing for kush composition — leaving health workers treating symptoms rather than tackling an evidence base for policy. Researchers have repeatedly called for field spectrometers and chemical testing to know what we are dealing with.
Fragmented coordination and delayed, reactive measures. While the President has since declared an emergency and a national taskforce was convened, independent reviews of the kush crisis point to delays and a tendency toward enforcement-heavy actions rather than immediate scale-up of health, harm-reduction and community services. Where data was limited, some responses relied on heavy policing rather than rapid health outreach.
Underinvestment in community rehabilitation and jobs for youth. The epidemic preys on unemployment and social exclusion. The response so far has underfunded rehabilitation beds, community outreach teams, and realistic youth employment measures — all essential to reduce demand over the medium term. WHO and partners have recommended holistic efforts that combine health services with social and economic interventions.
Lessons from the Ebola response — how APC-style leadership delivered then, and can again
Sierra Leone’s 2014–2016 Ebola crisis was a defining national moment. That emergency exposed initial confusion and weak systems, but also produced a decisive change in how the state organised an emergency — with Emergency Operations Centres (EOC), district response centres, international coordination, and a centralized command structure that, over time, helped extinguish transmission. The campaign demonstrated how clear leadership, rapid coordination, and targeted resource mobilisation can bend the curve of a public-health crisis.
As an APC-aligned leader, I believe the APC’s record of implementing structured, national emergency command systems during Ebola is the roadmap for Kush: decisive national coordination, rapid deployment of technical capacity, and partnership with international agencies for laboratory and treatment support. (This is not to ignore mistakes during Ebola — rather, it is to learn from them and apply the strong parts of that response).
Regional comparison: Nigeria, Ghana and the limits of enforcement-only approaches
Kush is not Sierra Leone’s problem alone. Regional reports show synthetic and highly potent opioid threats emerging across West Africa and in other African markets. Nigeria and Ghana face related challenges with counterfeit medicines and synthetic drugs; the common lesson there is that purely punitive approaches fail without parallel investment in testing, harm reduction, community rehabilitation and socio-economic measures. West African responses that paired law enforcement with robust health outreach and cross-border intelligence saw better outcomes in reducing harms.
Why should Opposition political parties and the diaspora should lead this conversation now
The APC’s record of building emergency command structures during Ebola — paired with disciplined policy delivery — can be adapted to a public-health crisis like kush. Leadership matters: the public needs clear, consistent actions that prioritise lives, not just headlines.
Diasporas and international bodies should mobilise technical partnerships in the UK, US and EU for laboratory equipment, coordinating a diaspora-led rehabilitation fund, and pushing for an policy package that pairs enforcement with rapid health responses, data transparency and youth employment.
An appeal to unity and action
Sierra Leone’s young people are our future — they are not expendable. Kush is a symptom of deeper economic and social fractures, but it is also a crisis with concrete levers we can pull: test, treat, and cut supply, while creating pathways for jobs and dignity. The Opposition party knows how to organise emergency systems; the diaspora & International bodies can supply technical, financial and moral support; together we can turn a national emergency into a national recovery.
Source
- Global Initiative / Clingendael GI-TOC report on kush; chemical testing: GI-TOC press release and full report.
- Associated Press coverage and analysis on nitazenes in kush samples.
- WHO Sierra Leone news: WHO support, town hall and national taskforce (April 19, 2024).
- Reuters reporting on Sierra Leone declaring a national emergency and clinical leadership response.
- SocialScienceinAction / SSHAP hub and other field reports on response gaps and the need for harm-reduction approaches.
- Chatham House / UN & WHO reviews of Sierra Leone’s Ebola response (2014–2016), for comparative lessons on coordinated emergency command and recovery strategy.
