The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the University of Toronto, cordially invite you to attend the webinar "World Suicide Prevention Day 2024: Change the narrative", that will take place on Tuesday 10 September, at 12:00 pm (EDT or Washington D.C. time). In this session will discuss the impact and relevance of suicide prevention through media messaging, focusing on the he importance of responsible media reporting related to suicide to promote awareness and collaboration across the Region of the Americas.
The webinar will be broadcasted via Zoom, with interpretation in English and Spanish.
The session is the first of the webinar series "Working Together to Prevent Suicide", consisting on four webinars organized jointly by PAHO and the University of Toronto that will address the effective evidence-based strategies to prevent suicide. This series of webinars is part of a project to contribute to the advance in the Region of the Americas of the indicator 3.4.2 (suicide mortality rate) of the SDG 3.4.
Save the date and stay tuned for the agenda of this event.
How to participate
- DATE: Tuesday, 10 September 2024
- TIME: 12.00 P.M. (Washington D.C. or EDT) [Check the time in other cities at the bottom of this page]
- LANGUAGES: Spanish and English, with simultaneous translation in both languages.
- REGISTRATION: https://paho-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9rUqbNKnRsequL4sL3t2xQ
Background
World Suicide Prevention Day, celebrated annually on 10 September, is organized by the International Association for Suicide Prevention, with the endorsement of the World Health Organization. The event represents a worldwide commitment to focus attention on suicide prevention. The theme for World Suicide Prevention Day for the years 2024-2026 is: "Change the Narrative.”
Each year, nearly 100,000 people die by suicide in the Americas, and for every suicide, it is estimated that there are at least 20 suicide attempts. Between 2000 and 2019, the suicide rate in the Region increased by 17% percent, with the Americas being the only WHO Region to show an increase during this period.
Although countries in the Americas have made progress in suicide prevention, many continue to have high or increasing suicide rates and are not on track to reach the Sustainable Development Goal Target 3.4: “to reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.”
Major barriers to preventing suicide in the Region include: weak suicide surveillance systems; a lack of evidence-based national suicide prevention strategies; low mental health service coverage; insufficient multisectoral collaboration; and stigma and discrimination associated with mental health conditions and suicide.
Agenda
- 12:00pm-12:05pm - Introductory remarks
- Dr. Renato Oliveira e Souza. Chief, Mental Health and Substance Use Unit,Pan American Health Organization
- 12:05pm-12:25pm - From Werther to Papageno: Changing narratives of suicide-related media reporting
- Dr. Mark Sinyor. Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto
- 12:25pm-12:45pm - Responsible reporting of suicide in Trinidad and Tobago
- Dr. Hazel Othello. Director, Mental Health Unit, Ministry of Health, Trinidad and Tobago
- 12:45pm-1:05pm - Suicide media reporting: Experiences, challenges, and opportunities to change the narrative
- Dr. Fernanda Hernández. Editor and presenter, Health section, Noticias Caracol, Colombia
- 1:05pm-1:25pm - Questions and answers
- 1:25pm-1:30pm - Closing remarks
- Dr. Renato Oliveira e Souza. Chief, Mental Health and Substance Use Unit, Pan American Health Organization
Time in other cities
- 9:00 a.m. – Los Angeles, Vancouver.
- 10:00 a.m. - Belmopan, Guatemala City, Managua, Mexico City, San Jose (CR), San Salvador, Tegucigalpa,
- 11:00 a.m. – Bogota, Kingston, Lima, Panama City, Quito
- 12:00 p.m. – Asunción, Bridgetown, Caracas, Georgetown, Havana, La Paz, Port of Spain, Port-au-Prince, Nassau, Ottawa, Santiago, San Juan, Santo Domingo, Washington D.C.
- 1: 00 p.m. - Buenos Aires, Brasilia, Montevideo, Paramaribo.
- 6:00 p.m. – Geneva, Madrid.
For other cities, check the local time using the following link.