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Côte D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

Suicide Prevention Crisis Lines

  1. Primary Crisis Hotline:
    • Phone Number: 143
    • Hours of Operation: 24/7
    • Additional Details: Provides immediate psychological assistance to individuals in distress, with services available in French.
  2. Emergency Line:
    • Phone Number: 112
    • Notes: General emergency number accessible via mobile and landlines across the country.
Suicide Prevention in Côte D'Ivoire

Epidemiology of Suicide

Overall Statistics

  • Current Suicide Rate (per 100,000 people): 8.9 (World Bank, 2019).
  • Trend Analysis:
    • Last 5 Years: Decreasing. The suicide rate has dropped from 14.5 in 2016 to 8.9 in 2019 (World Bank, 2019).
    • Recent Changes: The decline in rates is attributed to increased awareness and emerging community-led interventions.

Demographic-Specific Insights

  1. By Gender:
    • Male Suicide Rate: 14.9 per 100,000.
    • Female Suicide Rate: 2.8 per 100,000.
    • Notable Trends: Suicide rates among men are significantly higher than among women, a pattern observed across many African nations (UN Women, 2023).
  2. By Age Groups:
    • Adolescents (15-19): 4.1 per 100,000 (Males: 6.5; Females: 1.7) (WHO, 2023).

Suicide Prevention Innovations

National Strategies and Policies

  • Overview: Côte d’Ivoire implemented a national suicide reporting system in 2023, becoming the first Francophone African country to do so. This system aims to improve data collection and inform targeted prevention strategies (Le Monde, 2023).
  • Key Elements: Efforts include engaging religious leaders in mental health promotion, integrating suicide awareness into public health discussions, and supporting local health services in rural areas.

Specific Initiatives and Campaigns

  1. Public Awareness Campaigns:
    • Religious groups have received support to enhance mental health care services in prayer camps, with healthcare workers providing on-site psychological support (WHO Regional Office for Africa, 2023).
  2. Programs Targeting High-Risk Groups:
    • Training hairdressers as informal counselors to offer mental health support and identify individuals at risk of suicide within their communities (Positive News, 2024).
  3. Collaborative Efforts:
    • Partnerships between government health agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to foster community-based interventions in both urban and rural areas.

Innovative Tools and Approaches

  • Community Integration: Collaborations with religious institutions to deliver mental health services in non-traditional settings such as prayer camps, enhancing access for those hesitant to use formal healthcare systems (WHO Regional Office for Africa, 2023).

Key Stakeholders and Experts

National Organizations:

  • Programme National de Santé Mentale (PNSM): The national body responsible for coordinating mental health initiatives, including suicide prevention strategies.

International Collaborations:

  • World Health Organization (WHO): Provides technical support and funding for mental health programs in Côte d’Ivoire.
  • UNICEF and UN Women: Engage in promoting youth and gender-sensitive mental health initiatives.

Additional Insights

Cultural Considerations:
Suicide remains a deeply taboo subject in Côte d’Ivoire, contributing to underreporting and stigmatization of those affected. Cultural norms often frame mental health issues as personal or spiritual failings, discouraging open discussion (Le Monde, 2023). Efforts are underway to shift societal attitudes and normalize conversations about mental health.

Research and Data Gaps:
Significant gaps remain in data collection, particularly in rural and underserved areas. The recent implementation of a national suicide reporting system marks a critical step toward addressing these gaps, but further research is needed to understand the specific challenges faced by vulnerable populations (Le Monde, 2023).

Positive Developments:
The integration of mental health services into community and religious spaces, along with the innovative use of non-traditional support networks like hairdressers, highlights Côte d’Ivoire’s growing commitment to accessible mental health care (Positive News, 2024; WHO Regional Office for Africa, 2023).

References

  1. Le Monde (2023) En Côte d’Ivoire, une succession de suicides ouvre le débat sur ce tabou. Available at: https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2024/07/19/en-cote-d-ivoire-une-succession-de-suicides-ouvre-le-debat-sur-ce-tabou_6252545_3212.html (Accessed: 3 February 2025).
  2. Positive News (2024) The Ivory Coast hairdressers tackling a mental health crisis. Available at: https://www.positive.news/lifestyle/health/the-ivory-coast-hairdressers-tackling-a-mental-health-crisis/ (Accessed: 3 February 2025).
  3. UN Women (2023) Country Profile: Côte d’Ivoire. Available at: https://data.unwomen.org/country/cote-divoire (Accessed: 3 February 2025).
  4. WHO (2023) Adolescent Suicide Rates. Available at: https://apps.who.int/gho/data/view.main.MHSUICIDE15TO19v (Accessed: 3 February 2025).
  5. WHO Regional Office for Africa (2023) Côte d’Ivoire: Religious groups get support to enhance mental health care. Available at: https://www.afro.who.int/countries/cote-divoire/news/cote-divoire-religious-groups-get-support-enhance-mental-health-care (Accessed: 3 February 2025).
  6. World Bank (2019) Suicide Mortality Rate, Côte d’Ivoire. Available at: https://tradingeconomics.com/ivory-coast/suicide-mortality-rate-per-100000-population-wb-data.html (Accessed: 3 February 2025).