By Fasilat Lawal
In a bid to reduce the rate of suicide in the society, a non governmental organization, the Asido Foundation has conducted an
advocacy walk in Ibadan.
The campaign which was meant to .commemorate the sixth anniversary of the foundation, was also designed to Herald the 2025 World Suicide Prevention Day.
Commenting on the event, Founder, Asido Foundation, Professor Jibril AbdulMalik, a Consultant Psychiatrist, University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan, described suicide as a common tragic occurrence in the society.
Professor AbdulMalik who explained that Asido Foundation considered awareness as a critical change strategy to contain suicide incidence, stressed that the foundation would not relent in creating more awareness.
He said the foundation was equally trying to identify different forms of thoughts that could trigger suicide so as to fast track support and needed intervention, and urged government and lawmakers to decriminalize attempted suicide and pass Suicide Prevention Bill to pave way for legislative and policy frame work that would give support to people with depression.
Chief Operating Officer of the Foundation, Dr Mopojubola Abiri, who decried low attention given to mental health, attributed it to ignorance, adding that mental health crises had resulted to loss of lives.
He maintained that some victims resort to suicide due to an impulsive reaction to sudden psycho social stressor such as public humiliation, financial loss, anxiety and failure in academic pursuit.
Dr Abiri affirmed that suicide is preventable and advised depressed individuals to seek counsel and medical attention.
Some youths at the event described the programme as being timely and pledged their readiness to amplify their voices through more advocacy and sensitization to prevent suicide in the country.
The road walk, which was from Ring Road to Challenge, was also held in Imo, Borno, Lagos states and the Federal Capital territory, Abuja.
