By Leonard Kamugisha Akida and Jasper Twesige,
NATIONAL
Suicide is a becoming serious health problem in Uganda and there is an increase in cases of suicide especially in higher institutions of learning such as universities and this has a ripple effect that impacts students, families and friends.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 700,000 people die by suicide every year. WHO statistics further indicate that for each suicide, there are more than 20 suicide attempts.
Suicide means an act of killing yourself intentionally. In Uganda, the causes of suicide ranges from depression, mental disorders and substance use disorders among others.
Sandrah Abbo, behavioral change communications assistant at Strong Minds Uganda says that victims of suicide in Uganda are majorly the youth between 15 – 30 years most of whom are undergraduates and fresh graduates.
Uganda is ranked among the top six countries in Africa in rates of depression disorders at 4.6 per cent and 2.9 anxiety disorders with females taking a lead of 5.1 per cent compared to their male counterparts at 3.6 per cent.
Abbo blames increased cases of suicide in Uganda to poor funding of mental activities.
“In Uganda, mental health only takes 1 percent of the National Budget, 14 million Ugandans are currently experiencing mental health challenges and 25% of Uganda’s population is prone to depression due to various causes which are not limited to the following; failure in relationships, the hard economy whereby many Ugandans are living below the Poverty line.
This therefore means that many of the people cannot avail themselves the basic necessities like food, clothing to mention but a few,” she said
Recently, Kyambogo University has registered a large number of suicide cases in Uganda. At least three students of Kyambogo University including a female have committed suicide in the recent past.
According to records at LEM Mindfulness (Love, Empathy, Mindfulness), at Kyambogo University, a total of 1,908 students need psychosocial support.
In a bid to end suicide to suicide cases in the university, the Guidance and Counseling Unit of Kyambogo University in collaboration with partners such as LEM Mindfulness, Strong Mind Uganda, Uganda Counseling Association (UCA) are running a campaign to end suicide in Ugandan universities.
The campaign dubbed, “Anti-Suicide” campaign will this afternoon be lauched at Kyambogo University CTF auditorium under the theme: “Hope never runs dry”
The minister of health Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng is expected to officiate the launch along other key note speakers at the Anti-Suicide Public Lecture including Dr. Ruth Senyonyi, the president of Uganda Counseling Association among others.
The ongoing event is hosted by the Kyambogo University Vice Chancellor Prof. Eli Katunguka Rwakishaya (PhD
