19/10/22

Turning the suicide tide in Africa

According to the World Health Organization, Africa has the highest number of suicide cases. Copyright: Image from an inactive account from Pixabay

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<h1>Turning the suicide tide in Africa</h1>
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<p>Africa is battling a suicide and mental health crisis. According to the <a href="https://www.afro.who.int/news/reversing-suicide-mental-health-crisis-africa#:~:text=Around%2011%20people%20per%20100,nine%20per%20100%20000%20people." target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Health Organization</a>, the region has the highest number of suicide cases in the world with around 11 people per 100, 000 dying by suicide each year. The region is also home to six of the ten countries with the highest incidence of suicide.</p>
<p>In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we hear from Kenyan resident Philis Mwatee about the pain of losing a dear friend to suicide. Florence Baingana, WHO regional advisor on mental, neurological and substance abuse, highlights the risk factors affecting Africans. And clinical psychologist Gladys Mwiti from Oasis Africa, a trauma centre, says Africa must invest in stronger support structures.<br />
<a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/22GZRHL"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-69335 lazyload" data-src="https://www.scidev.net/sub-saharan-africa/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/ASF_Survey_banners_In-article.jpg" alt="" width="996" height="100" data-srcset="https://www.scidev.net/sub-saharan-africa/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/ASF_Survey_banners_In-article.jpg 996w, https://www.scidev.net/sub-saharan-africa/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/ASF_Survey_banners_In-article-768x77.jpg 768w" data-sizes="(max-width: 996px) 100vw, 996px" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" style="--smush-placeholder-width: 996px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 996/100;" /><noscript><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-69335 lazyload" data-src="https://www.scidev.net/sub-saharan-africa/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/ASF_Survey_banners_In-article.jpg" alt="" width="996" height="100" data-srcset="https://www.scidev.net/sub-saharan-africa/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/ASF_Survey_banners_In-article.jpg 996w, https://www.scidev.net/sub-saharan-africa/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/ASF_Survey_banners_In-article-768x77.jpg 768w" data-sizes="(max-width: 996px) 100vw, 996px" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" style="--smush-placeholder-width: 996px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 996/100;" /><noscript><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-69335" src="https://www.scidev.net/sub-saharan-africa/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/ASF_Survey_banners_In-article.jpg" alt="" width="996" height="100" srcset="https://www.scidev.net/sub-saharan-africa/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/ASF_Survey_banners_In-article.jpg 996w, https://www.scidev.net/sub-saharan-africa/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/ASF_Survey_banners_In-article-768x77.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 996px) 100vw, 996px" /></noscript></noscript></a></p>
<p><em>This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.</em></p>

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<p>This article was originally published on <a href="https://www.scidev.net" target="_blank">SciDev.Net</a>. Read the <a href="https://www.scidev.net/sub-saharan-africa/podcast/turning-the-suicide-tide-in-africa/" target="_blank">original article</a>.</p>
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Africa is battling a suicide and mental health crisis. According to the World Health Organization, the region has the highest number of suicide cases in the world with around 11 people per 100, 000 dying by suicide each year. The region is also home to six of the ten countries with the highest incidence of suicide.

In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we hear from Kenyan resident Philis Mwatee about the pain of losing a dear friend to suicide. Florence Baingana, WHO regional advisor on mental, neurological and substance abuse, highlights the risk factors affecting Africans. And clinical psychologist Gladys Mwiti from Oasis Africa, a trauma centre, says Africa must invest in stronger support structures.