NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 14 – Suicides are preventable: this is the message that resounded during the 2021 World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) marked on September 10 as nations grappled with mental health challenges triggered by the economic turmoil brought about by the coronavirus pandemic .
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 700,000 people die due to suicide every year, making it the fourth leading cause of death among 15 and 19-year-olds after road traffic accidents, tuberculosis and interpersonal violence.
The global phenomenon in all regions of the world accounted for over 77 per cent of suicides which occurred in low- and middle-income countries in 2019.
“Suicide is a serious public health problem; however, suicides are preventable with timely, evidence-based and often low-cost interventions. For national responses to be effective, a comprehensive multi spectral suicide prevention strategy is needed,” Nominated Senator Sylvia Kasanga said in remarks to mark WSPD in Kenya.
Kasanga explained that with suicide, everyone is at risk with many incidences happening impulsively in moments of crisis with a breakdown in the ability to deal with life stresses, conflict, disaster, violence. She however previous suicide attempts are by far the strongest risk factor.
In Kenya, the number of suicide cases has increased in the last several years. A 2020 report by the WHO indicated that the number of suicides reported in the country rose by 58 per cent between 2008 and 2017, with 317 suicide cases reported annually.
According to the Ministry of Health, the reported suicide cases shows dire need for prevention measures.
The World Population Review ranks Kenya at position 114 among 175 countries with the highest suicide rate. In addition Kenya’s suicide rate is at least 6.5 suicides per 100,000 people.
-The impact of Covid-19 on suicide rates-
The Ministry of Health is in the process of developing a National Suicide Prevention Strategy and Program 2021-2026 in line with the WHO guidelines.
“One of the interventions to effectively address the growing need for mental health and psycho-social support for persons who are infected or affected by Covid 19 as well as the general population, are the provision of tele-counseling and tele-psychiatry services.”
A study by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has shown that the pandemic has amplified risk factors associated with suicide, such as job or economic loss, trauma or abuse, mental health disorders, and barriers to accessing health care.
-Prevention and control-
Unfortunately, suicide prevention measures in Kenya have often failed to address these root causes and instead incorporated fewer effective approaches including punitive measures.
“Section 226 of the Penal Code, for instance, criminalizes attempted suicide, causing re-victimization of already vulnerable victims and placing those who are already socially and economically disadvantaged at even greater disadvantage,” noted Kasanga.
President of the Kenya Psychiatric Association (KPA), Chitayi Murabula echoed her sentiments, emphasizing on the need to think about our attitude towards suicide since some cultures view it as an abomination as well as our law which criminalizes it.
“All suicidal behaviors are as a result someone suffering from an underlying illness such as substance disorder, schizophrenia and this is not any different from Malaria, Tuberculosis. Hence we shouldn’t punish people who attempt suicide because of an underlying illness.”
Community based initiatives plays a key role in suicide prevention.
“Awareness creation let’s talk about these issues and let people know that there are means to dealing with suicide without the fear of being stigmatized. Many work places have begun mental health awareness programs which is paramount to addressing suicide,” she explained.
Kasanga also expressed the need for Community services on mental health in rural set ups and engage them on the way forward in the various issues they might be facing in life.
“The minute you begin talking about an issue, it’s also the beginning of solving it, you’ve reached the point of acceptance and you are not in denial at all.”
Key proven suicide prevention measures include limiting access to means of suicide (such as pesticides and firearms), early identification, assessment, management and follow-up of people affected by suicidal thoughts and behaviors, fostering adolescent social-emotional skills, and educating the media in responsible reporting on suicide.
Stigma, limited resources, and lack of awareness remain major barriers to help-seeking, highlighting the need for mental health literacy and anti-stigma campaigns.
Raising community awareness and breaking down the taboo is important for countries to make progress in preventing suicide.
The WHO recommended prevention efforts coordination and collaboration among multiple sectors of society, including the health sector and other sectors such as education, labor, agriculture, business, justice, law, defense, politics, and the media.
“These efforts must be comprehensive and integrated as no single approach alone can make an impact on an issue as complex as suicide,” WHO stated.
On data quality, the WHO called for improved surveillance and monitoring of suicide and suicide attempts is required for effective suicide prevention strategies.
Cross-national differences in the patterns of suicide, and changes in the rates, characteristics and methods of suicide, highlight the need for each country to improve the comprehensiveness, quality and timeliness of their suicide-related data.
This includes vital registration of suicide, hospital-based registries of suicide attempts and nationally-representative surveys collecting information about self-reported suicide attempts.
In the WHO Mental Health Action Plan 2013–2030, WHO Member States have committed themselves to working towards the global target of reducing the suicide rate in countries by one third by 2030.
The theme of WSPD 2021, “Creating hope through action,” reflects on the need for collective, action to address this urgent public health issue.
