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Poverty escalating death by suicide, say mental health experts
The Executive Director of Mental Health Uganda (MHU), Mr Derrick Kizza Mbuga during a training of journalists in Jinj City. PHOTO/ TAUSI NAKATO
What you need to know:
- According to Mr Kizza, calamities like Covid-19, landslides, cattle rustling and insecurity in areas like Northern Uganda have also contributed to the escalation.
- In November, a nine-year-old pupil in Kyanzanga, Lwengo district, died by suicide after reportedly being detained by the school for failure of his parents to clear a fees balance of Shs100,000.
The rampant poverty levels across the country have escalated cases of death by suicide, health experts have said.
The executive director Mental Health Uganda (MHU), Mr Derrick Kizza Mbuga, says an average of 15 suicide attempts were registered through the organisation’s hotline in the last quarter of 2023, adding that three died before they were reached out for counselling, while 12 were saved.
He cited Karamoja, Kapchorwa and Busoga as areas with poverty levels that have precipitated death by suicide cases.
According to Mr Kizza, calamities like Covid-19, landslides, cattle rustling and insecurity in areas like Northern Uganda have also contributed to the escalation.
“During the Covid-19 pandemic, people were left indoors and since then, their income has not regained for them to get out of poverty and think of dying as a solution,’’ he said at the weekend.
He added that chronic illness, lack of jobs, torture, substance abuse, alcoholism, mental illness and disagreement in relationships (marital problems) are also to blame for high suicides cropping up in the country.
Mr Kizza further explains that other people die by suicide due to lack of support from those around them, adding that criminalization of suicidal attempts has also increased on cases.
He cited countries like Ghana where he says they have removed the law, put social services and it has reduced.
“Whereas in counties where the law is being implemented, it has instead increased. Most of the attempted suicide victims regret why they didn’t die,’’ Mr Kizza said, warning that if poverty isn’t addressed, suicide cases are likely to rise.
Mr Kizza says cases of suicide are rife among men who fail to open up to others for counselling. “Women speak a lot about their problems, and are open, unlike men who prefer to keep quiet and their solutions to such problems is mostly suicide.
Quarterly statistics from Uganda National Institute of Public Health (UNIPH) put suicide rates at 18 percent, with men being at higher risk than women.
Mr Kizza says Uganda only has one public rehabilitation centre (Butabika Hospital) with a bed capacity of 550, but currently, the number stands at about 1,750, adding that few privately-owned mental health facilities are too expensive.
Mr Kizza’s findings regarding the positive correlation between poverty and suicide are corroborated by Mr Joel Ssemwanga, the Executive Director Uganda Mental Health Fellowship-Atanekontola (UMHF-A), a Jinja-based organization.
“Poverty among mental health patients has also contributed to high suicide cases,” Mr Ssemwanga says, adding that when one of their members committed suicide early this year, investigations revealed that the deceased wanted something but it wasn’t provided.
Subsequently, Mr Ssemwanga says the victim felt isolated and decided to end her life by suicide.
In November, a nine-year-old pupil in Kyanzanga, Lwengo district, died by suicide after reportedly being detained by the school for failure of his parents to clear a fees balance of Shs100,000.
In 2019, Brian Wetaka, who graduated with Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering returned to his former lecture room block at the University and died by suicide after failing to get a job.
On December 26, 2016, Ms Christine Bamuwalaisa, a 30-year-old resident of Wakitaka in Jinja City, says she attempted suicide at Namboole flyover in Kampala after episodes of stress and depression.
The 2019 annual Police crime report says 456 suicide scenes were processed and 223 attempted suicide cases were reported, signaling a sharp rise in deaths by suicide in the country.
Data from the World Health Organisation indicates that globally, close to 800,000 deaths resulting from suicide are recorded. WHO 2018 estimates suggest that Uganda takes 68th position in terms of suicide prevalence at 9.9 percent.
