South Africa has fourth-highest suicide rate in Africa, the WHO says

South Africa has the fourth-highest suicide rate in Africa, highlighting the growing burden of mental health challenges in the country, according to the latest statistics from the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Global Health Observatory. South Africa was among 21 countries in the WHO African region that submitted data on the prevalence of mental health conditions with a particular focus on suicide rates. The data showed South Africa had a suicide rate of 21.1 deaths per 100,000 people.

The five African countries with the highest rates were: The figures come amid mounting concerns about the social and economic impact of mental health conditions in South Africa. According to October Health’s State of Mind report, unaddressed mental health conditions cost South Africa’s economy more than R250bn annually and the equivalent of about 4.5% of the country’s GDP. The WHO estimates depression and anxiety result in the loss of 12-billion workdays globally every year, costing the world economy about $1-trillion.

In South Africa this translates into an estimated 452-million lost work hours annually. The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag) estimates that presenteeism, where employees are physically present at work but struggle to perform effectively because of mental health challenges, accounts for more than R200bn in lost productivity each year. A recent workshop heard that an estimated 253 people attempt suicide every day in South Africa, while globally one in three people will experience a mental health disorder at some point in their lives.

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Speaking during the three-day Regional Mental Health Intercountry Workshop held at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park from May 27 to 29, director of mental health and substance abuse at the national department of health Dr Dudu Shiba said a combination of mental health and socioeconomic factors were contributing to South Africa’s high suicide rate. “The data indicates that as a country, we need to intensify efforts to address the risk factors associated with suicide including mental health conditions and broader socioeconomic challenges. The contributing factors include a complex combination of mental distress, untreated mental health disorders and severe socioeconomic conditions. Exposure to trauma and violence has also been identified as a contributing factor,” she said.

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