Suicide Prevention in the African Region.

Abstract

This paper addresses national responses to suicide prevention in the African region. Eighteen countries responded, of which none had a national suicide prevention strategy in place and only three countries, namely Algeria, Congo, and Madagascar, were in the process of developing any kind of strategy, at the time of this survey. Official national statistics on suicide were available in four of the 18 AFRO countries, with two countries publishing figures on suicide attempts nationally. Training programs on suicide assessment and interventions for general practitioners or mental health professionals were very limited, available in just four countries. One country had a national center specifically dedicated to suicide research or prevention and four countries have at least one NGO dedicated to suicide prevention. Postvention bereavement support for families affected by suicide was available in three AFRO countries. In more than half of the countries, suicide is not an option to certify cause of death. Statistics on suicide and suicide prevention are poorly monitored in all the 18 AFRO countries. The present state of suicide prevention in the region will require cross-country efforts that will generate a critical mass to move suicide advocacy in establishing national prevention strategies in the region.