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A LOCAL community-based organisation (CBO), Summit Care Trust, would starting tomorrow embark on a ‘suicide prevention campaign’ as a way of commemorating the suicide prevention month, which falls in the month of September.
The campaign comes as Zimbabwe’s suicide rate for 2019 was 14,10, which was a 0,71% increase from 2018. In the years 2020 and 2021 there is anecdotal evidence has highlighted an increase in suicide cases.
Summit Care Trust mental health advocate, Tanatswa Chikaura, said the campaign was crucial as it seeks to open up awareness about suicide and how to find ways of reducing the cases.
“While suicide prevention should be an everyday topic, the month of September gives us an opportunity to dedicate time and have honest conversations about mental health,” she said.
“Suicide is often deemed a taboo topic, therefore, we would like to raise awareness on the stigmatization surrounding it, as well as to spread important information that can help people affected with suicidal thoughts and those that have lost their loved ones to the scourge.”
Chikaura said the aim of the month-long Suicide Prevention Campaign was to ensure that Zimbabwean citizens have the important tool kit that will help them prevent suicide and seek help.
Throughout the month of September, she said her organisation would highlight the “YOU MATTER” theme by focusing on four areas: community awareness, health awareness, family awareness and education awareness.
The trust will anchor conversations with various stakeholders on the risk factors of suicide, navigating mental health crisis, suicide prevention, bullying in educational institutions and role of sports, arts and culture in young people’s mental health, she said.
“We will also facilitate focus group discussions, as well as zoom workshops on suicide awareness and prevention. In addition, we will have graphic information that people can share on their social media platforms with the #YOUMATTER. Your mental health condition is important,” she said.
At the core of the awareness campaign, Chikaura said was the message that there is no shame in seeking help but there is a need to conscientise people facing challenges so that they can share their situations with friends, family members or professionals for support.
Online Reporter