– stakeholders say suicide prevention remains everybody’s business

MAKING communities, workplaces and homes supportive is one of the measures that would help to end the scourge of suicide, said stakeholders on the eve of World Suicide Prevention Day 2018.

Ending suicide begins by forming healthy communities and supporting persons who might not have the positive energy as others, said Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence, during her remarks at a suicide-prevention exercise which was organised by local Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Prevention of Teenage Suicide (POTS) on Sunday morning.

“Persons need to know that there is someone here that they can talk with…so many of us are unkind to each other, we could find other things to do, but not give an ear to our brothers and sisters,” said the minister.

Her sentiments were echoed by other stakeholders, who believe that it will take a collective effort to prevent suicide.

“On the eve of celebrating suicide-prevention day, it is safe to say that we are still, as a race, grappling with stigma and discrimination,” said the minister, adding that persons must treat each other with respect and care.

In the past, Guyana was at the top of the list for the country with the highest per capita suicide rate in the world, but, efforts from various organisations and the Ministry of Public Health have resulted in the country dropping lower on that list.

Before April of this year, Guyana had the highest suicide rate in the world at 44 per 100,000. Guyana was last ranked fourth in the world behind Sri Lanka, Lithuania and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North).

Minister Lawrence said the ministry will continue to work with various organisations to ensure that people are aware of the scourge in society.

So far, the ministry has embarked on several health outreaches across the country and will soon launch its “We are at your door” programme, which will target government and public agencies.

The new programme will ensure that persons in the workplace receive physical and mental health care, because there is a lot of stress in the working environment.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) had determined the world average of suicide to be 16 per 100,000 people. Over one million people take their own lives globally every year- this works out to about one life every 40 seconds.

Although the latest tabulations indicate a steadily rising rate of suicide in Guyana from 2000 until 2012, there is a notable decrease between 2012 and 2015, which would signal that the various systems put in place, including a suicide hotline, have started to make the desired impact.

According to crude data on the WHO’s website, which was last updated on April 4, this year, as at 2015, Sri Lanka had the highest suicide rate in the world at an estimated 35.3 per every 100,000 inhabitants; Lithuania was second with 32.7 per 100,000; the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) third with 32.0; and Guyana fourth with 29.0.

Organisations such as POTS have been working to ensure that Guyana is no longer on the list of countries with a high rate of suicide.

According to Vice-president of POTS, Ruth English, the group will soon be working with schools and other agencies to combat the scourge of suicide.

“We want to get off of the list for good…if we work together and form a partnership we could make that happen… you have no clue how many people you could save by talking or listening to somebody,” said English.

The Rafieya’s International Vision and Hope (RIVAH) foundation has thrown its support behind POTS, donating $200,000 to the group.

RIVAH said this is their first step in providing financial support to groups which show a commitment to promoting suicide-prevention awareness and campaigns. Massy has also supported POTS in its effort to combat suicide.