Lima, 8 September. - Among the main reflections of the first forum on advances in suicide prevention "Embrace Life" was that having depression does not mean we are sick but that we have problems to solve in order to be better. Those were the words of the Director of Mental Health, Ministry of Health (MoH), Yuri Cutipe. "We must reflect on the process of life and how it can be interrupted by the suicide phenomenon. Therefore, we must work to decentralize and expand these awareness and dialogue spaces," added the specialist.
Also present was Dr. Andrea Bruni, PAHO/WHO Mental Health Advisor for South America, who pointed out that suicide is a complex issue that requires a multisectoral approach and leadership from the Government to coordinate with various stakeholders. He added that suicide is a major public health concern and that PAHO/WHO included it as one of the indicators in the Plan of action on mental health 2015-2020. "Having data and a national strategy that identifies key stakeholders and defines specific responsibilities, are key elements to protect and help reduce suicide in the future," said the specialist.
According to Peru's HIS (Health Information System) 1121 suicide attempts were reported from January to July in health facilities across the country this year. In 2015, 2045 cases were reported. The largest number was observed among women 18 to 40 years.
World Suicide Prevention Day is celebrated on September 10th, in this context, representatives of the Ministry of Health, public and private institutions, donors and non-governmental organizations attending the forum signed a letter of commitment to continue creating spaces of information and for raising awareness on suicide prevention.
The opening of the forum was in charge of Dr. Monica Pun, Director General of Strategic Interventions in Public Health (MoH) who stressed that "work on prevention involves addressing the problem with the best evidence, bringing us closer to all citizens."
