City of economic dreams haunted by suicidal nightmares

KARACHI:

The incidents of suicides are rising at an alarming rate in the country, particularly the economic hub, Karachi, where hardly a day passes without reports of multiple suicides. The city once used to be a beacon of economic hope, now struggles with a disturbing new reality: a city of rising suicides.

According to medical experts, approximately 0.7 million people commit suicide worldwide each year. In Pakistan, 60% of the population is under the age of 30, among whom suicide has become the fourth leading cause of death.

Pakistan Institute of Living and Learning (PILL) has introduced a strategy to control the rising rate of suicide. Sindh Health Minister Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho participated in their event.

The CEO of the organisation and psychologist Dr. Naseem Chaudhry stated that according to global statistics, nearly 0.7 million individuals commit suicide annually and suicide has become the fourth leading cause of death among the youth in Pakistan. Various measures are being implemented, including efforts to report and collect data on suicide cases to curb this alarming trend.

Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho emphasised the need to work at the community level and address the shortage of psychologists. Lady health workers have been trained in depression and suicide prevention so they can play an effective role. She stressed that major hospitals will provide specialised rehabilitation facilities for cancer, burn, and heart patients, while issues such as sexual violence and increasing drug use, which are contributing factors to suicide are yet to be solved.