Experts Call For Making Suicide Prevention A Public Health Priority

1 min read

KARACHI: Experts at a seminar on 23rd September 2024 underscored the need for changing the narrative around suicide — from one of shame and silence to empathy and action — and improving access to mental healthcare services.

The seminar titled “Changing the Narrative: Starting the Conversation on Suicide Prevention” was organised by the Jinnah Sindh Medical University’s CME department in collaboration with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre in connection with World Suicide Prevention Day.

Speaking at the programme, JPMC’s psychiatry ward head Dr Chooni Lal said over 720,000 people die by suicide annually, with the highest rates among people between the ages 15 and 29 in low-to-middle-income countries.

“These alarming statistics underscore the urgent need to change the narrative around suicide and make suicide prevention a public health priority,” he emphasised.

JSMU Vice Chancellor Prof Amjad Siraj Memon said healthcare professionals had a critical role to play in shedding light on this crisis and equipping communities with evidence-based strategies for prevention. “Suicide is a leading cause of death globally, yet it remains shrouded in stigma and misconceptions,” he regretted.

CME Director Dr Rahat Naz said the society must respond to the situation with urgency and compassion. “By changing the narrative around suicide, we can create an environment where those struggling feel safe to reach out and get the support they need.”

During the seminar, Prof Iqbal Afridi and Dr Jawed Akbar Dars talked about the complex factors contributing to suicide.

They emphasised the importance of improving access to quality mental healthcare, training communities to recognise warning signs, and reducing barriers to seeking help.

The seminar concluded with a play performed by JSMU’s Performing Arts Society, highlighting the need for focusing on building individual and community resilience, fostering social connectedness, and addressing the root causes of suicidal ideation.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2024

Previous Story

How ‘Treatable’ Typhoid Turned Into A ‘Superbug’

Next Story

Teenage Girl Gang-Raped During Road Robbery

Latest from Blog

Karachi Emerges As Top Polio Exporter

ISLAMABAD: On October 9, Health officials warned that Karachi has surpassed southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as Pakistan’s most potent source of exported poliovirus, urging parents to protect their children from lifelong paralysis by participating in the imminent vaccination drive. “Karachi is the most potent exporter of poliovirus in the country and…

Polio Worker Killed In Armed Attack in Karachi

KARACHI: A polio worker was killed in a suspected targeted attack on the Superhighway on October 9. Site Superhighway Industrial Area SHO Wilayat Shah told Dawn that Rehmanullah, 30, was on his way to Surjani Town on a motorcycle when unknown suspect(s) opened fire near Jamia-tur Rasheed. He sustained critical bullet wounds…

Govt Declares Water Emergency in Gwadar

QUETTA/GWADAR: The Balochistan government has declared a water emergency in Gwadar and suspended all taxes related to water supply to resolve the issue of serious water shortage the coastal district. A decision to this effect was taken after a massive protest demonstration was staged by residents of Gwadar. The water…

Woman Held From School After Failed Kidnap Bid

SARGODHA: A woman was arrested from a school for allegedly trying to kidnap two students and spraying poisonous gas on the children and teachers present in the school. According to the complaint filed by Sheikhanwala Primary School, in Bhakkar’s Darya Khan tehsil, headmistress Sundas Zahra alleged that a woman, later…

FBISE To Share Its Software With Other Boards

ISLAMABAD: Secretary of the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training Nadeem Mahbub asked the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) to share its software system with all the provincial Boards and to arrange training sessions for teachers to strengthen assessment practices and capacity at the provincial level.…
Go toTop