Why African men commit suicide - CDC reveals

The Africa Centres for Diseases Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has disclosed the reasons responsible for suicide among African men.

According to Dr Naeem Dalal, the Advisor, Non-communicable Diseases, Injuries and Mental Health (Africa CDC) the cultural stereotypes that prevent African men from seeking emotional and mental wellness help are a major reason.

Dalal made this known in a chat with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lusaka, Zambia at the International Conference on Public Health in Africa on Tuesday, November 28.

He said statistics specifically show that more men die by suicide on the continent of Africa, according to The Nation. “So, there’s more active suicide amongst men.

For every 50 percent of it, it is amongst the men that die and this is because men use more lethal with dying.’’

He explained that “active suicide is where you die by suicide. Passive suicide is when you have thoughts of dying by killing yourself or harming yourself, but you don’t go ahead with those thoughts.

Speaking on some reasons that make men resort to suicide, he said African culture does not encourage men to reach out for help for mental health concerns or issues that they face.

“And not just to stereotype it, but also to be factual that men are also taught not to reach out for help growing up as boys and boys are told to be strong and responsible.

“So, this also causes an issue for men to reach out for mental health services, even when they are there. “These are the challenges we are facing."

NBA