Policy Brief – Toxic Politics, Stress and Hypertension in Sierra Leone

Amid the lingering tension over the results of Sierra Leone’s 2023 elections, this new report reveals how toxic politics has become a burden to the health and wellbeing of many Sierra Leoneans. Findings, of a survey of 1,000 respondents (50/50 gender split) in Sierra Leone’s five regional headquarter cities, shows that for majority (53%) of respondents politics became more toxic a year after the hotly contested June 2023 election. Further, a majority (60%) said that it has increased their stress levels. The archival data on health screenings collected by Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation mirrors the survey results. Sierra Leone recorded it highest jump of hypertension cases between May and June (the election month) of 2023 and continued to be high above the pre-election levels throughout June to December 2023. Although the economic hardship and price hikes that followed the election may have had a huge impact on people’s stress levels, a good number of Sierra Leone are also worried about politically induced stress.