Home Health WHO Asks FG To Initiate Multi-Sectoral Suicide Prevention Strategy 

WHO Asks FG To Initiate Multi-Sectoral Suicide Prevention Strategy 

WHO Asks FG To Initiate Multi-Sectoral Suicide Prevention Strategy

Princess-Ekwi Ajide  Abuja

World Health Organisation, WHO, has advised Nigeria to have a comprehensive multi-sectoral suicide prevention strategy in place so as to be able to reduce the rising cases of suicide in the country.

The WHO Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr. Kazadi Mulombo, gave the advice at the commemoration of the 2023 World Suicide Prevention Day with the theme: “Creating Hope Through Action,” in Abuja.

Suicide which is the second leading cause of death among young people aged 15-29 years, after road injury is estimated at over 700,000 people annually, out of which 70 per cent of the cases occur in low and middle income countries like Nigeria.

The Country Representative, represented by the Deputy Country Representative, Alexander Chimbaru, opined that suicides are preventable with timely, evidence-based and often low cost interventions, saying that for that to be effective, a comprehensive multi-sectoral suicide prevention strategy is required for Nigeria.

He added that for every suicide, there are likely 20 other people making suicide attempts.

The country representative, who applauded the Federal Government for initiating programmes and policies that would address mental health and reduce the rate of suicide, said suicide remains a tragedy that affects families, communities and the entire country as it has a long lasting impact on the people left behind.

Dr. Mulombo pledged that WHO will continue to support the country towards implementing activities to improve mental health and promote suicide prevention and control measures.

Speaking earlier, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said that suicide accounts for 10%-20% of deaths among women up to one year after giving birth of which 86% of the affected people are in low and middle-income countries.

He stressed that nothing good comes out of suicide as its consequences extend beyond the loss of life to the families and communities affected by that loss and many who lost their loved ones to suicide never recover from the devastating effect.

The Minister who was represented by a Director at the Ministry, Adebayo Peters, enumerated some of the steps taken so far to combat mental health and reduce suicide to include the presidential assent to the National Mental Health Act 2021, the finalization of the national suicide prevention strategic framework, finalization of the review of the national mental health policy to address the emerging mental health needs of the population among others.

The National Coordinator, National Mental Health Programme, Federal Ministry of Health, Tunde Ojo, on his part, said that the World Suicide Day celebration is an opportunity for all stakeholders to expand the conversation on mental health.

He noted that many people commit suicide because no action was taken hence government is engaging continuously with stakeholders so as to change the narrative about suicide prevention.

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