How govt plans to prevent suicide cases in Uganda

The Government intends to come up with a suicide prevention strategy (policy) to curb the alarming number of deaths and suicide attempts, according to a health ministry official.

“We all know that we don't have a strategy, so having this kind of conference where everybody will be brought on board, the young people, so that they speak into what aspirations we will have in the strategy to prevent suicide in Uganda,” public health director Dr Daniel Kyabayinze says.

The Police in its 2024 Annual Crime Report said there were 218 cases of suicide reported in 2024, while 165 were reported a year earlier. In 2022, it registered 235 suicide cases and 204 in 2021.

It should, however, be noted that the cases are likely higher because majority of these cases go unreported.

Kyabayinze was on August 14, 2025, representing health minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng in Kampala during the launch of an upcoming anti-suicide conference aimed at addressing mental health challenges predominant among young people aged 15 to 29 years.

"We are going to come up with all these voices as stakeholders, young, old, youth, rural, urban, all walks of life, so that they can advise the Government to come up with something which works for us, to be uniquely Ugandan.”

He also decried the current legal framework, which criminalises attempted suicide.

It was revealed that suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among youth aged 15 to 29 years globally. Experts warn that the true figures are higher due to underreporting, stigma and inadequate mental health infrastructure.

“In Uganda, recent data from 2024 recorded 190 suicide attempts, 59 deaths and 18 repeat attempts, with young people disproportionately affected,” said Andrew Rugasira, the chairperson of the Conference’s Steering Committee.

According to Rugasira, the upcoming Listen, Include, Validate, and Empower conference will take place on September 10, 2025, aligning with World Suicide Prevention Day. 

The conference is expected to bring together 500 participants, including youth, parents, mental health professionals, educators, faith leaders and policymakers, to share stories, address stigma and co-create solutions.

Joan Atuhaire, a psychologist working at Focus on Recovery Uganda, a rehabilitation centre, said the event will feature testimonies from survivors and bereaved families, youth-led discussions, expert panels and a youth Mental Resource Hub providing immediate access and referrals.

Among the key outputs from the conference is a national public awareness campaign to normalise conversations around mental health and reduce stigma; a stakeholder engagement framework to build and sustain cross sector partnerships and a set of evidence-based policy recommendations to be submitted to the Ministry of Health and Parliament within 30 days, ensuring the conference outcomes translate into concreate national action.

Collin Babirukamu, who recently lost his younger brother to suicide, said the deceased was a brilliant young man who had worked for some of the big brands.

The launch was also attended by youth representatives, including Miss Uganda contestant Ratifah Sekyema, a Television (TV) and radio personality.

Other youthful advocates who attended the event include Bertha Nkunzi, a TV host, content creator, and producer at one of Uganda's TV stations, as well as Dorah Birungi, a radio personality and mental health activist.