Suicide continues to be the fourth biggest cause of death for people aged 15 to 19 years old, according to the World Health Organisation factsheet from 2021.
According to estimates, 700,000 people die by suicide annually throughout the world, with the majority of those deaths taking place in low- and middle-income nations.
WHO believes that the suicide rate in Kenya is 11.0 per 100,000 people on account of mental suicide.
Dr. Abdourahmane Diallo, WHO’s country representative to Kenya said that it would assist the government’s efforts to prevent suicide.
There have been suggestions made to improve and FastTrack the mental state of healthcare professionals.
During the launch of the suicide prevention strategy 2016–2021 Program, Dr. Patrick Amoth, Director General for Health Kenya said that the launch would establish and operationalize the suicide prevention program at the national and county levels as well as strengthen the policy, legal, and financial frameworks that would support its successful implementation.
Insisting that there is a lack of data on suicide in Kenya due to, among other things, the criminalization of suicide under the penal code, Amoth has urged the youth to support one another in case of uncertainties and seemed to point a finger at the media for underreporting.
“Let us use social media responsibly even for those going through hard times. WHO indicates that for every completed suicide, there have been more than 20 other attempts by others with reports showing that in 2018 alone, the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics reported 421 deaths by suicide in the country,” Amoth said.
“Parents and Caregivers to give psychosocial support wholeheartedly which will strengthen and support suicide prevention,” Amoth added.
In order to defeat the epidemic, the strategy will also contain a healthcare package that would allow for mental counseling. By 2026, this will contribute to a 10 per cent decrease in death modes.
The strategy aims at enhancing awareness of suicide and suicide prevention, reducing stigma, and improving access to comprehensive, integrated, and high-quality services for suicide interventions at all levels of care. It also aims to strengthen systems for suicide surveillance and research.