Beverly Bizeki
Deputy Minister of Public Service and Social Welfare Senator Lovemore Matuke has challenged the Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) to be the first tertiary institution to come up with peer to peer support groups and be champions of anti-drug abuse and suicide prevention.
Speaking at the International Day against drug abuse and Illicit Trafficking and World Suicide Prevention belated commemorations held at GZU’s Robert Mugabe School of Education on September 7, 2022, Matuke urged multi stakeholders to coordinate and collaborate in fighting against drug and substance abuse for the sanity of the nation.
“While government departments are responsible for drug and substance abuse as well as suicide prevention strategies, there is need to emphasize more on peer to peer support. Universities and communities should have champions of anti-drug abuse and suicide prevention and provide information to support their friends. I am challenging the youths at Great Zimbabwe University here today to be the pioneers of this initiative.
“Suicide prevention efforts require coordination and collaboration with multi stakeholders for example education, justice, labour, agriculture, business etc.
“Suicide remains one of the leading causes of death with the youth being the most affected, a cold relation exists between suicide and mental health disorder in particular depression and alcohol use disorders,” Matuke said.
He went on to pledge US$500 towards the introduction of the initiative at the University.
The call to fight against drug and substance abuse comes at a time when men’s mental health issues and suicide are trending topics on social media circles with other stakeholders in the tourism sector already hosting campaigns for the awareness of these two issues.
Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira said drug and substance abuse menace has robbed the sanity of the nation as it is not only affecting families but has far reaching consequences.
Globally Zimbabwe is ranked among countries with high rates of suicide with statistics released in 2020 showing that between 2015 and 2019 over 2000 men committed suicide and 500 women died of suicide.
Researches have shown that the suicide gender paradox show that men commit suicide three times more than women and women attempts suicide four times more than men.
The reason for that gender difference is that men are alleged to use more lethal methods than women and they do not seek treatment where as women are quick to seek medical attention when they attempt suicide.
Glenlivet Resort in Masvingo is set to host a marathon as a men’s mental health awareness campaign in the fight against suicide on September 24 this year.
