Beyond the quiet walls of the Sierra Leone Psychiatric Hospital in Kissy, Freetown, unfolds a powerful story of determination, purpose, and resilience—one that belongs to Dr. Haja Abibatu Jalloh 34, the country’s first home-trained female psychiatrist.

As a field mostly dominated by men, Dr. Jalloh’s title as Sierra Leone’s first female psychiatrist isn’t just symbolic—it marks a historic moment for the country’s mental health sector. 

She is the first woman to be trained and certified locally through the Sierra Leone Psychiatry Residency Program, an intensive postgraduate training path for doctors who specialize in mental health.

Kind, composed, and deeply committed to helping vulnerable people, Dr. Jalloh’s journey into medicine wasn’t just a career choice—it was a calling. 

“I’ve always been passionate about helping vulnerable people,” she shares. “That’s what inspired me to study medicine,” she said.

Breaking Barriers in Mental Health

Born in Bo, southern Sierra Leone, Abibatu attended Holy Rosary Primary School and later moved on to Ahmadiyya Muslim Secondary School. Her academic excellence and passion for health led her to pursue medicine at the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS) in Freetown.

But the road wasn’t easy. Moving to Freetown to study came with its fair share of challenges. 

“People used to tell me medicine takes too long,” she said. 

“They would ask, ‘When will you get married? When will you have kids?’ Especially as a woman, people feared that becoming a doctor meant sacrificing everything else.”

Financially, things were no easier. 

“My father is a teacher, and medicine is expensive,” she says.

“If not for the Sierra Leone Grant-in-Aid program, I wouldn’t have been able to finish. Every year, fees went up, and many of my classmates dropped out.”

Despite the hurdles, Dr. Jalloh persevered. She found mentors in her senior colleagues—those who helped guide her path, even when others questioned her choice of specialty. 

“People often say psychiatry doesn’t pay, and to be honest, they’re not wrong. The services we offer here are free. So, to do this job, you have to really care.”

According to Dr. Abdul Jalloh, Director of Mental Health and Non-communicable Diseases at the Ministry of Health and Sanitation. 

“Dr. Abibatu is the first female psychiatrist to graduate through our local program. Unlike others who may have studied abroad, she was trained right here at home—and that makes her achievement even more significant.”

The residency program, launched in 2020 and officially accredited in 2022, was introduced to build local capacity and address Sierra Leone’s massive treatment gap in mental health care. It is run by the Sierra Leone College of Physicians and Surgeons in partnership with the West African College of Physicians and Surgeons.

The three-year training includes rotations in adult, child and adolescent, forensic, addiction, and community psychiatry. Doctors first take a primary exam to enter the program, and after completion, they are certified as specialist psychiatrists. Those who wish to pursue a higher role can enroll in a two-year fellowship with a dissertation to become consultant psychiatrists.

“Before this, we had to send doctors abroad to specialize,” Dr. Abdul Jalloh explained. “Now, they can stay in the country and still become highly trained professionals. It’s not just about reducing costs—it’s about building sustainable mental health care for our people.”

Several years ago, Dr. Abdul Jalloh was one of only three psychiatrists in the country, but now he is aided by a team of seven young trainees who were part of the psychiatry residency program, 

Currently, nine doctors are enrolled in the program, including three women inspired by Dr. Jalloh’s pioneering journey.

Dr. Haja Abibatu Jalloh/ James Tamba-Martha/ VRC Media

Fighting Stigma, One Patient at a Time

In Sierra Leone, mental illness is still heavily stigmatized. Many people attribute conditions like depression or psychosis to spiritual attacks or curses, often seeking help from traditional healers instead of hospitals. With only one psychiatric hospital in the entire country and a handful of mental health nurses in a few districts, access to proper care remains limited.

Sierra Leone has one of the highest mental health burdens in the region. An estimated 15% of the population suffers from mental health disorders, with conditions like depression and anxiety affecting as many as 27% and 32% of the population, respectively. Yet, the country continues to face a severe shortage of trained specialists and a high treatment gap.

“When I first started working here, we only had about five new cases a day,” Dr. Jalloh says. “But when the kush drug crisis hit, the number of patients skyrocketed—and our facility wasn’t equipped to handle that.”

Thanks to support from the Government of Sierra Leone and Partners in Health Sierra Leone, the hospital now has access to essential medications that can stabilize patients and reduce aggressive episodes.

“When you visited earlier, you probably didn’t even realize some of the people around you were patients,” she says with a smile. “That’s because many of them are stable now.”

She notes a shift in public awareness too: “People are more open about their mental health. More are coming forward to seek help, especially during awareness events like World Mental Health Day.”

A Message to Young Women

For Dr. Jalloh, psychiatry isn’t scary—it’s empowering. 

“I always tell young women if you’re passionate about something, go for it—no matter what people say,” she says.

 “Doing what you love will make you better at it.”

Her calm presence, compassionate care, and groundbreaking role in Sierra Leone’s medical landscape have not only changed lives but also paved the way for a future where mental health is no longer treated as an afterthought.

Women are now entering the mental health field.Three women are currently enrolled in the local residency program, according to the Mental Health Director, Dr. Jalloh. 

She hopes the government continues to invest in decentralizing mental health services by building satellite centers across the country so people in rural areas can access treatment too.

“Psychiatry may not be the most glamorous field,” she says. “But if you care about people—especially the vulnerable—it’s the most rewarding.”

Dr. Haja Abibatu Jalloh/ James Tamba-Martha/ VRC Media