MONROVIA, LIBERIA-A delegation from the ECOWAS Parliament has concluded a day-long consultation with ministries and agencies of the Liberian Government on the drug abuse and mental health awareness campaign in Monrovia.

The delegation, headed by the Chair of ECOWAS Parliament Health Committees, Orlando Pereira, on Monday, July 4, 2025, met with Foreign, Health, Education, Gender and Youth, and Sports Ministers at their various ministries.

The delegation is also expected to engage other national stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, youth in recovery, and local authorities, as well as conduct field visits to specialized treatment centers.

Pereira said,” The consultation is aimed at alerting stakeholders about the escalating challenges posed by substance abuse and mental disorders in West Africa”.

The campaign is part of ECOWAS’s ongoing efforts to build a resilient community by establishing a regional drug law to minimize the proliferation of drugs.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Dr. Louise Kpoto has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the fight against drugs and substance abuse.

Dr. Kpoto said,” The establishment of the multi-sectoral committee against drugs by President Joseph Boakai indicates the government’s commitment to eradicating the menace”.

She noted that the Liberian Leader also considered drug and substance abuse as a public health emergency, and ensured that the relevant ministries and agencies get involved to rehabilitate disadvantaged youths.

The Liberian Health Minister added that the government, through the ministry, is currently constructing a three-hundred-fifty-bedroom psychiatric hospital in Bensonville City.

Minister Louise Kpoto pledged the government’s unflinching support to ECOWAS’s initiative to create awareness and prevent drug and substance abuse in West Africa.

By: Sampson David