GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – The Ministry of Health, with technical support from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), has launched a National Suicide Surveillance System, designed to facilitate real-time tracking and analysis of cases of suicide and attempted suicide.
The National Suicide Surveillance System was launched at the Ministry of Health earlier this week by Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, in the presence of the Director of PAHO/WHO, Dr. Jarbas Barbosa da Silva, and the PAHO/WHO Guyana Country Representative, Dr. Kim Dickson.
According to Barbosa da Silva< Guyana faces a high burden of suicide and suicide attempts, making it a serious public health concern for the country.
He, however, said PAHO was pleased to provide technical support to the Government, through the Ministry of Health, as it moved to reform mental health care at all levels within the country through legislative reform and improved policies and programmes.
He said the National Suicide Surveillance System will complement the Mental Health Protection and Promotion Act, the Suicide Prevention Act, and the National Mental Health Plan 2023-2030 as the country improves data collection on cases of suicide and attempted suicide.
“Quality real-time data on suicide and suicide attempts is crucial to understanding the problem, identifying the high-risk groups and responding with effective and targeted interventions,” Barbosa da Silva said.
He explained that accurate data on cases of suicide and self-harm is vital to informing mental health services provision, resource deployment, and guidelines for managing suicidal behavior.
The PAHO/WHO Guyana Country Representative, in her address, said the National Suicide Surveillance System will provide the Health Ministry and its partners with essential data that would guide policies necessary to reduce the tragic loss of life caused by suicide.
“This system will serve as a backbone for our national strategy to address the root causes of suicide. The system will also facilitate a comprehensive data-driven approach to understanding and addressing the complex issue of suicide in Guyana. Through real-time data collection and analysis, the system would help to identify trends, promote understanding of risk factors, guide implementation of targeted interventions, and assist in the monitoring of progress,” Dickson explained.
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