Covid-19 raises suicide risk
Suicide remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide according to the World Health Organisation, and the emotional strain of the Covid pandemic has increased the risk factors.
ELLANIE SMIT
WINDHOEK
Suicide prevention is even more important now, after many months of living with the coronavirus pandemic, which has brought about many risk factors such as job losses, financial stress and social isolation.
Suicide remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide, according to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) latest estimates, published in the just released ‘Suicide Worldwide in 2019’ report.
The report says that more people die yearly because of suicide than HIV, malaria, breast cancer or war and homicide.
In 2019, more than 700 000 people died by suicide: one in every 100 deaths, prompting WHO to produce new guidance to help countries improve suicide prevention and care.
"We cannot - and must not - ignore suicide," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO.
Among young people aged 15 to 29, suicide was the fourth leading cause of death after road injury, tuberculosis and interpersonal violence.
The report notes that rates vary, between countries, regions, and between males and females.
More than twice as many males die due to suicide as females (12.6 per 100 000 males compared with 5.4 per 100 000 females).
Suicide rates among men are generally higher in high-income countries (16.5 per 100 000). For females, the highest suicide rates are found in lower-middle-income countries (7.1 per 100 000).
Suicide rates in the WHO African (11.2 per 100 000), European (10.5 per 100 000) and South-East Asia (10.2 per 100 000) regions were higher than the global average (9.0 per 100 000) in 2019.
Although some countries have placed suicide prevention high on their agendas, too many countries remain uncommitted, the report says.
Currently only 38 countries are known to have a national suicide prevention strategy.
NAMIBIA
Namibian Sun reported last year that 752 Namibians had committed suicide between January 2019 and 31 July 2020, amid the multiple social and economic repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The statistics shared by the police revealed that in 2019, a total of 486 suicides were recorded in the country.
According to the report, high suicide rates and a lack of evidence-based information on suicide in Namibia prompted the health and social services ministry to conduct a national situation analysis in 2018 to guide prevention and treatment strategies.
The study focused on several outcomes, including prevalence of fatal suicides and non-fatal suicide attempts, prevalence of suicidal thoughts and the causes of suicide.
It also focused on knowledge and attitudes towards suicide and suicide prevention and treatment efforts and the availability and effectiveness of suicide prevention efforts.
The results of the study generated several recommendations and were used to inform the development of a five-year National Strategic Plan on the Prevention of Suicide in Namibia and the development of a policy framework to guide suicide prevention, treatment, management and coordination.
The study indicated that in 2015, an estimated 25 000 people were known to have attempted suicide in Namibia.
WINDHOEK
Suicide prevention is even more important now, after many months of living with the coronavirus pandemic, which has brought about many risk factors such as job losses, financial stress and social isolation.
Suicide remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide, according to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) latest estimates, published in the just released ‘Suicide Worldwide in 2019’ report.
The report says that more people die yearly because of suicide than HIV, malaria, breast cancer or war and homicide.
In 2019, more than 700 000 people died by suicide: one in every 100 deaths, prompting WHO to produce new guidance to help countries improve suicide prevention and care.
"We cannot - and must not - ignore suicide," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO.
Among young people aged 15 to 29, suicide was the fourth leading cause of death after road injury, tuberculosis and interpersonal violence.
The report notes that rates vary, between countries, regions, and between males and females.
More than twice as many males die due to suicide as females (12.6 per 100 000 males compared with 5.4 per 100 000 females).
Suicide rates among men are generally higher in high-income countries (16.5 per 100 000). For females, the highest suicide rates are found in lower-middle-income countries (7.1 per 100 000).
Suicide rates in the WHO African (11.2 per 100 000), European (10.5 per 100 000) and South-East Asia (10.2 per 100 000) regions were higher than the global average (9.0 per 100 000) in 2019.
Although some countries have placed suicide prevention high on their agendas, too many countries remain uncommitted, the report says.
Currently only 38 countries are known to have a national suicide prevention strategy.
NAMIBIA
Namibian Sun reported last year that 752 Namibians had committed suicide between January 2019 and 31 July 2020, amid the multiple social and economic repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The statistics shared by the police revealed that in 2019, a total of 486 suicides were recorded in the country.
According to the report, high suicide rates and a lack of evidence-based information on suicide in Namibia prompted the health and social services ministry to conduct a national situation analysis in 2018 to guide prevention and treatment strategies.
The study focused on several outcomes, including prevalence of fatal suicides and non-fatal suicide attempts, prevalence of suicidal thoughts and the causes of suicide.
It also focused on knowledge and attitudes towards suicide and suicide prevention and treatment efforts and the availability and effectiveness of suicide prevention efforts.
The results of the study generated several recommendations and were used to inform the development of a five-year National Strategic Plan on the Prevention of Suicide in Namibia and the development of a policy framework to guide suicide prevention, treatment, management and coordination.
The study indicated that in 2015, an estimated 25 000 people were known to have attempted suicide in Namibia.
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