Dr. Naeem Dalal, Advisor for Non-communicable Diseases, Injuries, and Mental Health for Africa CDC, emphasized the urgent need to challenge cultural stereotypes hindering African men from seeking emotional and mental wellness support.
Speaking at the International Conference on Public Health in Africa, Dalal highlighted the disproportionate suicide rates among African men, emphasizing the prevalence of active suicide within this demographic.
On the sidelines of the International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA) on Tuesday, Dalal spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lusaka, Zambia.
Dalal noted that cultural expectations of men being supportive, responsible, and the primary breadwinners contribute to the reluctance of men to seek help for mental health concerns. The stigma associated with vulnerability and reaching out for support further exacerbates the issue.
According to him, this is necessary as statistics specifically show that more men die by suicide on the continent in Africa.
Dalal is a Psychiatrist from Lusaka, Zambia, a youth mental health specialist and currently the National Mental Health, focal person and specialist for the Zambia National Public Health Institute.
He said: “There is more active suicide amongst men.
“When we talk about suicide, we need to understand two things. There’s suicide which is passive and suicide, which is active.
“Active suicide is where you die by suicide.
“Passive suicide is where you have thoughts of dying by killing yourself or harming yourself, but you don’t go ahead with those thoughts. So, that’s passive suicide.
“Now, when we talk about statistics for men on the African continent, more men die by suicide.”
“As a result, there is more active suicide among men.” Men account for 50% of all fatalities, owing to their use of more lethal methods of death.”
Dalal discussed some of the factors that lead men to commit suicide rather than seek help.
To address this challenge, Dalal proposed solutions such as mental health advocacy for communities, targeted programs on men’s health, mental health fellowships to build healthcare workers’ capacity, and policy changes to make mental health services more accessible. He commended Nigeria for recently passing a bill on mental health.
The Africa CDC is actively involved in mental health advocacy, recognizing the need to break down barriers and reposition Africa in the global health architecture.
The ongoing conference, themed “Breaking Barriers: Repositioning Africa in the Global Health Architecture,” aims to address critical health issues on the continent. The discussions include strategies to promote mental health, especially among the younger generation.
As Africa focuses on enhancing mental health services and awareness, the collective efforts seek to create a more supportive environment, challenge stereotypes, and ultimately reduce suicide rates, especially among African men.
Crediblenews would like to give credit to NAN for their comprehensive coverage of the report. The information and insights presented in this blog post are based on their informative news report.
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