The government has regulated the law for the prevention of suicide – Telam

Argentina has around 10 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants per year. Photo: 123rf.

The Government on Friday regulated the national law on suicide prevention, which aims to reduce the incidence and prevalence of suicide, through prevention, assistance and post-prevention,

It did so through the publication of Decree 603/2021 in the Official Journal, which in its recitals underlines, among other aspects, that the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) consider suicide as “a serious public health problem preventable through timely interventions, based on reliable data.” “

“It is essential to dictate the regulatory standards that allow the immediate application of the provisions contained in the aforementioned National Law on Suicide Prevention No. 27 130,” says the executive branch in the recitals of the regulation of the standard, which carries the signatures of the president. Alberto Fernández; the chief of staff, Santiago Cafiero; and Ministers Carla Vizzotti (Health), Juan Zabaleta (Social Development) and Nicols Trotta (Education).

Thus, the national government has taken a crucial step towards the implementation of this standard, which had been voted unanimously by the two chambers of Congress in 2015 and which had then remained without regulation for seven years, and therefore without regulation. effective.

According to what the undersecretary for the management of services and institutes of the Ministry of Health, Alejandro Collia, had anticipated in dialogue with Tlam yesterday, the regulation formalized this Friday, as part of the World and National Day for Prevention suicide, has been “agreed with all jurisdictions, the scientific community, universities and civil society, and with all actors involved in the implementation of the national law on mental health N 26.657, a framework law which changed the paradigm by giving a social and community vision to care, that it puts the person as a subject of law at the center of the scene and is approached from a global perspective, which includes this issue ”.

In dialogue with Tlam, the undersecretary for the management of services and institutes of the Ministry of Health, Alejandro Collia, had said that “suicide is a public health problem in the world and in Argentina, preventable and multi-causal ”.

Regarding suicide death rates, he stressed that “they vary around the world but in Argentina there are about 10 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants per year“While” the United States is at 12 and North Korea at 28. “

The health ministry clarified that the warning signs are: isolation, persistence of negative ideas, difficulty eating, sleeping and working, hopelessness, inconsolable crying, sudden change in behavior.“

The official indicated that “Argentina had between 2010 and 2019 approximately 31,000 deaths by suicide“and” the age groups with the highest prevalence are those from 15 to 29 years and 25 to 39 years, but this also depends on the country and on different cultural, socio-economic, psychological, biological, environmental factors, because it is a multicausal problem “.

Collia: “Suicide is a preventable and multi-causal global and Argentinian public health problem.” Photo: Ministry of the Press

Collia indicated that the regulation raises, among others, three key interventions such as that of strengthen the attention paid to this problem in health centers, which constitute the first level of care, improve epidemiological surveillance, and that each jurisdiction has a 24-hour telephone line to deal with this problem.

In turn, he explained that at present, drugs for mental health problems are included in the medicine cabinets of Repair plan, coupled with a strong training strategy for members of health teams through the platforms of the Ministry of Health.

In parallel, the Argentinian health authorities are progressing in collaboration with PAHO in the determination of sentinel sites, to collect precise information on the causes based on the experience of the various referral hospitals.

Collia: “The age groups with the highest prevalence are those from 15 to 29 and 25 to 39.” Photo: Ministry of the Press

In addition, Collia highlighted the work in collaboration with the various jurisdictions of the country, under the rector of the Ministry of Health, and assured that “in the context of the pandemic, it is estimated that in the field of mental health there is a projection of an increase in the number of people consulted by 30 percent; and in relation to the problem of suicide is the key to follow-up and prevention, assistance and post-prevention actions ”.

In turn, the Pan American Health Organization (OPS) reported that each one has, Mrs. 700,000 people commit suicide after numerous suicide attempts, which corresponds to one death every 40 seconds and that “suicides are preventable with timely interventions”, for which “a multisectoral approach” is essential and thus mitigate risk factors, reduce resources suicide rates and strengthen protective factors, building resilience, which can “effectively reduce suicide rates”.

In its awareness campaign, the Ministry of Health clarified that the warning signs are: insulation, persistence of negative ideas, difficulty eating, sleeping and working, hopelessness, inconsolable crying, sudden change in behavior. And you can collaborate in prevention by recognizing these signs, showing interest and support, respecting different expressions of feelings, eliminating prejudices.

Finally, Collia also mentioned the remote actions that have been carried out since the start of the pandemic, “something very important to maintain the treatments which also serve to prevent and carry out follow-up in the event of suicides or suicide attempts, with remote consultations and prescriptions, the establishment of new services in Sumar, and work with the community through general communication from the Ministry of Health. ”

Regarding the Sumar program, he also underlined its importance in the post-prevention period since it included a service “with which the family is followed at home both for suicide attempts and suicides, not only in because of the possibility of another similar situation. . but for all the emotional impact it generates, which requires psychosocial support “.

Since 2003, the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP), has promoted the commemoration of September 10 as the World Day for Suicide Prevention, which represents the global commitment to work by states and civil society in prevention.

In 2010, in Argentina, the nation’s Chamber of Deputies declared September 10 as the National Day for Suicide Prevention.

This year, PAHO is proposing “Creating Hope Through Action” as an awareness theme.

The law will be settled this Friday.

Figures and data related to suicidal behavior

Some data and figures from WHO / PAHO and the National Ministry of Health which validate the characterization of suicidal behavior as a priority social health problem of global significance:

• 703,000 people commit suicide around the world.

• Leads to death every 40 seconds.

• For every successful suicide, it is estimated that there are about 20 attempts.

• One in 100 deaths worldwide is suicide.

• In 2019, it was the fourth leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 29 worldwide.

• It is a phenomenon that affects all regions of the world.

• However, 77% of suicides in 2019 occurred in low- and middle-income countries.

• Although the link between suicide and mental health disorders is well established, many suicides occur on impulse in times of crisis, such as financial loss.

• It is estimated that 20 times that number may have attempted suicide.

• There were over 31,000 suicide deaths in Argentina during the period 2010-2019.

• The suicide death rate in Argentina was 7.3 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2019. It has not changed significantly from previous years.

• The incidence of these behaviors is higher in men than in women.