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Nigeria: WHO Unveils Campaign to Stop Suicide in Nigeria, Others
This Day, 9 October 2022
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has kicked off a campaign to raise awareness and spur action for suicide prevention in the African region, which according to it, has the… Read more »
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Africa: Make Suicide Prevention in Africa a Priority, UN Health Agency Urges Governments
UN News, 6 October 2022
Did you know that Africa has the highest suicide rate in the world? To reverse that worrying statistic, the UN health agency WHO on Thursday launched a social media campaign to… Read more »
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Uganda: Parliament Gets Serious About Mental Health, Funding Plan Mooted
Nile Post, 28 September 2022
MPs have adopted a motion, urging government to increase funding for mental and psychiatric care services in the country. Read more »
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Zimbabwe: MPs Express Concern Over Youth Mental Health Crisis Due to Drug Abuse
New Zimbabwe, 24 September 2022
MEMBERS of Parliament this week expressed concern over the worsening mental health crisis among the youth countrywide due to drug abuse. Read more »
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Rwanda: Rwanda Moves to Scale Up Mental Health Services
New Times, 11 September 2022
The government is working to ensure that mental health services are accessible everywhere, as well as raising awareness about the alarming symptoms of mental health issues that can… Read more »
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Africa: 'You Could Be The Light For Someone Who's In a Very Dark Place' World Suicide Prevention Day
UCT, 9 September 2022
Debunking the myths and stereotypes that have long been associated with depression and suicide is the bedrock to dismantling the stigma, addressing and preventing this global… Read more »
UN Agency Urges African Govts to Prioritise Suicide Prevention
Ahead of World Mental Health Day on 10 October, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa has called for "significant investment - to tackle Africa's growing burden of chronic diseases and non-infectious conditions - such as mental disorders - that can contribute to suicide".
According to WHO, mental health problems affect 116 million people in the African region, up from 53 million in 1990.
The continent also has six of the top 10 countries for suicide in the world, while the agency also noted that for each suicide in Africa, there are an estimated 20 suicide attempts.
Despite the urgency of the problem, African governments allocate less than 50 U.S. cents per person to treat mental health problems, says WHO. This is five times more than in 2017, but it is still well below the recommended U.S.$2 per person for low-income countries.
Additionally, mental health care is generally not included in national health insurance schemes, WHO said, noting that in Africa, there is only one psychiatrist for every 500,000 inhabitants.
This is 100 times below the WHO recommendation. Additionally, mental health workers mostly work in urban areas, often leaving rural communities without any support, reports UN News.
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Marking World Mental Health Day (October 10) each year, WHO focuses on raising awareness of the scale of suicide around the world and the role that each of us can play to help prevent it.
