Five suicides were reported on Wednesday, seven on Tuesday, totalling 12 in two days. In Kiirua in Meru, a 45-year-lod man hanged himself. A task force on mental health established Kenya has a high burden of mental illness due to ill health, psychosocial disability and premature mortality with huge gaps in access to care. The team said most Kenyans associate mental illness with negative narratives leading to a low focus on the importance and benefits of mental health and well-being. The team also recommended that mental illness be declared a national emergency of epidemic proportions, to prioritise mental health as a priority public health and socioeconomic agenda.

Source: The Star April 22, 2022 10:06 UTC