The growing rate of suicide deaths is now a cause of worry for advocacy groups who want government at all levels to put in place structures to help those depressed and with such tendencies
It prompted this “Walk Against Suicide” at the Unity Fountain by civil society groups to commemorate the World Suicide Prevention Day
Maryam Muhammed Reports that more than one million people worldwide die by suicide each year. This is according to the findings of the International Association for Suicide Prevention and the World Health Organisation
This brings the global suicide rate to sixteen per hundred thousand populations, which means that on average, one person dies by suicide every
forty seconds somewhere in the World.
About 1.8 per cent of worldwide deaths are suicide related, and global suicide rates have increased to 60 per cent in the past forty-five years.
In Nigeria the numbers of suicides have increased as living standards of Citizens have grown progressively worse. About seven million people are now at risk of succumbing to suicide annually due to depression.
This is another stark statistic from the World Health Organization, which also estimates that three hundred and twenty-two million people live with
depression worldwide.
Nigeria is ranked with 15.1 per cent on the Suicides per hundred thousand populations per year, and the thirtieth most suicide-prone country in the
World.
It is a far departure from years back when Nigerians were considered the happiest people in the world. There is an urgent need to address this growing number of suicide deaths in Nigeria
Advocacy groups and Psycho-Social Support Groups have sprung up and are collaborating with well-meaning Nigerians to provide succour for many who feel their lives have spiraled out of control.
The consensus among these support groups is that the Federal Government needs to to do more to sensitize the general public on the need to watch
out for others.
The Support groups want people battling with depression to know that there is a solution for their problem if only they are willing to talk about it.
