Dr. Abdul Jalloh is a psychiatrist, mental health leader, and one of Sierra Leone’s foremost advocates for mental health reform. He serves as Mental Health Lead at the Ministry of Health and lectures at the University of Sierra Leone, where he trains the next generation of health professionals.
He has played a central role in reshaping Sierra Leone’s mental health system, championing rights-based approaches to care and working to integrate mental health into broader health services. Dr. Jalloh has also been a key figure in advancing national mental health policy, including renewed efforts to pass the long-delayed Mental Health Bill, which seeks to replace the outdated Lunacy Act of 1902. Through his work with government, civil society, and international partners, he has helped build momentum for legislation that recognizes mental health as a public health priority rather than a criminal issue.
Beyond policy, he has expanded capacity-building initiatives to equip frontline health workers with the skills to identify and manage mental health conditions, and has contributed to research on trauma, depression, and post-conflict mental health challenges in Sierra Leone.
