By: Thaimu Bai Sesay
The Institute for Governance Reforms (IGR) has released a recent report titled ‘Parti Yagba: Toxic Politics, Stress and Hypertension in Sierra Leone’, which revealed a 60% of respondents from all the five provincial headquarters confirming that politics had increased their stress levels.
Disclosing the rationale behind this random survey study, the Institute for Governance Reforms stated that it was as a result of the high political tension in the country which IGR envisioned that it must have impacted the well-being of Sierra Leoneans. “Political tension can strain relationships, increase stress and anxiety levels, and impact mental health, leading to issues such as depression prolonged stress,” IGR stated.
Backing this rationale with informed empirical data, IGR uncovered that in 2018 to 2020 Cardiovascular Disease was identified to be the number killer of Sierra Leoneans. IGR added that 88.6% of patients in Bo District had been detected of hypertension, according to an academic manuscripts survey of 2023 to be soon published.
On the methodology used for the study, IGR detailed that they first conducted a survey of 1000 Sierra Leoneans with equally gender balance from the five provincial headquarters which includes Freetown, Bo, Kenema, Makeni and Port Loko, between June 14th to 17th, 2024 on the country’s political climate and its effect on the respondent’s well-being. As a secondary data IGR also assured of collecting archival data on hypertension screening and admissions in health facilities across Sierra Leone throughout 2023, six months before and after the June 2023 elections.
“A small majority (53%) said that politics became more toxic a year after the hotly contested June 2023 election. Further, a majority (60%) said that their stress levels had increased, with one-third attributing
Politics as a source of chronic stress and restlessness (29%).
The archival data on health screenings collected by the Ministry of Health in Sierra Leone recorded its highest jump of hypertension cases between May and June of 2023 and these figures continue to be above the pre-election levels throughout June to December 2023,” IGR unearthed.
As what led to the political tension in the country, the Institute for Governance Reforms revealed that the political tension set in motion immediately after the change of government in 2018, which was heightened by the June 2023 election. IGR added that it would appear that both the messages as well as the temperament of political leaders are having a strong impact on supporters. The report continued that political parties rarely discuss public policy, and the opposition providing no alternative agendas.
Resolving this unhealthy situation caused by political tension, IGR suggested there categorical policy recommendations. It implored the Ministry of Health and Sanitation to take cognizance of the political environment and provide feedback to patient to moderate political attention on party politics.
IGR further called on the Civic Education Ministry, agencies and CSOs to develop and rollout messages on misconceptions about politics in various demographics and the implications for people’s health.
IGR Parti Yagba report also ended up urging political parties to understand the current political structures that mobilized citizens on ethno-regional lines and the grave implications it has on the health and wellbeing of support groups and communities, and take active steps to control such negative effects.
