COVID-19 - PAHO/WHO Response, Report 59 (10 September 2021)

Suicide prevention must be prioritized after 18 months of COVID- 19 pandemic. PAHO warns that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the risk factors associated with suicidal behaviors, such as job or economic loss, trauma or abuse, mental health disorders, and barriers to accessing health care. Around 50% of people in Brazil, Canada, Chile, and Peru who participated in a World Economic Forum survey one year after the start of the pandemic, reported that their mental health had declined. World Suicide Prevention Day took place on 10 September 2021 with ‘Creating Hope through Action’ as the chosen theme. This event is organized by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and endorsed by WHO.

PAHO calls for strengthened government action to protect populations from the health and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ahead of Wellness Week 2021, celebrated 11 to 17 September 2021, PAHO’s Director, Dr. Carissa Etienne stated that, “health and well-being for everyone can only be achieved when governments provide a safety net.” She emphasized that implementing meaningful social support measures are vital to protect the most vulnerable individuals such as migrants, those living in poverty, workers in the informal sector (the majority of whom are women),or in precarious working conditions, and those living in crowded housing and the only way to move toward achieving greater equity in health and well-being.