FG launches policy framework to address increasing cases of suicide

*Inaugurates National Technical Working Group to speed up implementation of policies

*To train 120,000 frontline health workers

As UN Deputy Secretary-General decries rising cases of suicide in Nigeria

The Federal Government has launched a National Suicide Prevention Strategic Framework 2023–2030 and the National Mental Health Policy 2023.

It has also inaugurated a National Technical Working Group to speed up implementation of the policies to prevent the increasing suicide in the country.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed, has decried the rising cases of suicide in Nigeria and the world in general and stressed the need to stop stigmatization and discrimination while encourage those affected to seek mental health support.

Speaking at the Ministerial Roundtable on Mental Health with the theme, “Achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) for Mental Health in Nigeria, and the launch of the policy documents yesterday in Abuja, Mohammed lamented that more than 700,000 people end their own lives every year globally, noting that the tragedy has devastating impact on families, friends and relatives.

She said, ‘Mental health conditions and suicide is unfortunately is on the rise in Nigeria and around the world. We must raise mental health conversations, open dialogue is crucial to stop stigma and foster understanding.

“By encouraging open discussions, we can create a supportive environment for those suffering in silence. Effective leadership is also crucial for communities to contribute by considering their local needs and priorities to develop community-based services for mental health and suicide prevention.”

Mohammed observed that mental health is a basic human rights and is crucial to personal, community and social well-being adding that by launching the National Suicide Prevention Strategic
Framework and the National Mental Health Policy, Nigeria is leading an action and committing to health care system.

Also speaking, the Director General, World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, noted that the stigma and discrimination around suicide and mental health are significant contributors to people not seeking the health services they need.

Tedros, who commended Nigeria’s response to mental health despite the humanitarian emergency in the North East in the past 10 years, added that Nigeria’s National Suicide Prevention Strategic Framework represents significant steps in reducing stigma and suicide rates by training health workers in mental health and suicide prevention and integrate mental health services into the Primary Health Care programmes.

The WHO Chief stressed the need to translate policies to deliver concrete benefits for the people, communities and countries, adding that WHO remains committed to supporting Nigeria to ensure better mental health for all Nigerians because there is no health without mental health.

Launching the two documents, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Mohammed Ali Pate, said that the National Council on Health approved the National Suicide Prevention Strategic Framework and the National Mental Health Policy.

Pate noted that the laws have been upgraded to mainstream mental health and prioritize it, make it have different levels and to bring all stakeholders together to have better quality preventive, curative and rehabilitative interventions to improve their mental health and well-being which is consistent with the administration”s policy priorities.

Earlier, the Director of Public Health in the Federal Ministry of Health, Chukwuka Anyaike, said that that plans have been concluded for the training of 120,000 frontline health workers in primary healthcare centers (PHCs) across the country.

Anyaikd stated that in line with the government’s agenda for the sector, being the first point of call, the PHCs which are in every ward across the country, the government is determined to make them serve their primary purpose.

“For all the diseases that form the component of primary healthcare, we are going to develop an integrated training protocol for the healthcare workers at the primary healthcare center, so that any health personnel at the PHC should be able to handle mental health, tuberculosis, malaria, HIV, viral hepatitis and diarrhea. You know all the diseases entities that had to do immunization protecting women of reproductive age and also for the children.”