From Stigma to Hope: Forum Pushes for Open Dialogue on Youth Suicide Prevention
Participants follow discussions during the Youth Suicide Prevention Forum at Aga Khan University, Nairobi, where experts and youth leaders called for open dialogue to break stigma and advance mental health solutions
Nairobi,1, October,2025– Suicide remains one of Africa’s most pressing but least discussed public health challenges, and experts are warning that stigma is one of the biggest obstacles to saving lives. At the Youth Suicide Prevention Forum held in Nairobi, stakeholders called for a fundamental shift in how society talks about suicide, urging collective action to create safe spaces and break the silence around mental health.
Speaking at the forum on Wednesday in Nairobi Prof. Zul Merali, Founding Director of the Aga Khan University’s Brain and Mind Institute (BMI), said stigma continues to isolate young people at their most vulnerable moments.
“When young people are silenced by stigma or denied access to affordable care, we all fail. This forum is about creating safe spaces, amplifying youth voices, and building actionable pathways that save lives. Suicide prevention must become everyone’s business,” he said.
The event, organized by BMI in collaboration with the Science for Africa Foundation (SFA), brought together researchers, policymakers, youth leaders, and people with lived experience. The discussions underscored the urgent need to replace shame and silence with openness and compassion, while also expanding youth-friendly access to mental health care.
Dr. Judy Omumbo, Head of Programmes at SFA, emphasized that suicide prevention cannot be left solely to health systems.
“Suicide prevention is a profound moral and social responsibility and not a marginal issue to be left to health systems alone. It touches every part of society: families, schools, workplaces, faith communities, governments, and local communities across Africa. Preventing suicide must therefore be everyone’s business,” she said.
The forum also highlighted Kenya’s milestone decision in 2023 to decriminalize suicide, a move widely seen as a turning point in reframing national conversations. Dr. Catherine Wanjiku from the Ministry of Health said the government is committed to following through with policy and strategy.
“The government has taken significant steps, including the decriminalization of suicide in Kenya, which marked a turning point in addressing this challenge. Through the Suicide Prevention Strategy 2021–2026, we are strengthening mental health policies, expanding community-based services, and integrating suicide prevention into national health strategies to ensure timely support reaches every young person in need,” she noted.
Personal testimonies shared at the forum brought a human face to the statistics, illustrating how stigma often drives silence but also how resilience, peer support, and open dialogue can lead to recovery.
By shifting focus from silence to hope, the forum reinforced the idea that suicide prevention depends on changing the way society understands and responds to mental health challenges. It called on governments, communities, and individuals to join hands in dismantling stigma and fostering conversations that save lives.
