UNDER the theme ‘I am a Survivor’, Operation Safe and Sound was on Friday officially launched by four Queen’s College students who are seeking to lend support to tackling the issue of suicide throughout schools in Guyana.The students: Angelina Boodhoo, Akarshini Singh, Shafeena Milton and Wei Jun Wong, all agreed that the project aims at educating fellow students on the signs and symptoms that characterise imminent suicide victims, finding positivity in life, and knowing how to seek help.

The operation sought to introduce ‘The Elder’s Sibling Programme’, where a responsible, mature, upper school student poses as a ‘sibling’ and lends emotional support, advice and academic help to a student of any age.

Diego Alphonso, Administrator of the Men’s Affairs Bureau, congratulated the students on this initiative, and noted that it is a model which could be adopted in other schools countrywide.

This initiative comes at a time when the Ministry of Social Protection is intensifying its efforts to prevent suicide by taking the message to grassroots fora, including schools, communities and workplaces.

This week, a suicide prevention conference for staff was hosted by Qualfon and was facilitated by Alphonso and Adel Lilly, Gender Specialist within the Social Protection Ministry. The discussion also included gender-based violence and anger management. An outreach was subsequently conducted at the Buxton Secondary School as part of the ongoing collaboration with the Community Policing Group of C1 Division, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Several Ministers of Government have just recently met to discuss suicide prevention in Guyana, after the incidence was perceived to be spiralling out of control. The workshop saw presentation of the National Suicide Prevention Plan 2015-2020 by Dr Bhiro Harry, Head of the Ministry of Public Health’s Mental Health Unit.

With Guyana being ranked by the World Health Organisation (WHO) report in 2014 as having the highest suicide rate relative to its population, the suicide prevention strategy aims to “reduce the incidence of attempted suicide and suicide mortality by more than 50 per cent, thereby preventing premature death from suicide, or morbidity/disability from attempted suicide across the lifespan”.

The 50 per cent range, according to Dr Harry, was chosen because it is a realistic target, which could be achieved once the proposed plans are executed successfully.
The line of action proposed in the document which was presented last year includes risk factors’ reduction, health promotion, and prevention of suicidal behaviour; reduction of access to the means of suicide; health system response to suicidal behaviour; and suicide surveillance and research.

If you, or anyone you know, are/is experiencing suicidal thoughts, speak to a family member or leader in your community, or call the suicide helpline on telephone numbers (+592) 223-0001, 223-0009, 600-7896, 623-4444. Say yes to life!