The Science for Africa Foundation (SFA Foundation), in partnership with the Brain and Mind Institute at The Aga Khan University, will on 1 October 1, 2025, convene a high-level forum in Nairobi, Kenya. This event will bring together diverse voices to address suicide as one of the most pressing public health challenges of our time.

This half-day forum titled “Making Suicide Everyone’s Business: Hope in Action”, in recognition of World Suicide Prevention Day, (marked annually on 10 September) will focus on youth suicide prevention in Africa and on bridging the gap between research, policy, and community action. It will spotlight the practical implementation of Kenya’s National Suicide Prevention Strategy (2021–2026), emphasizing youth participation, community engagement, access to care, and cross-sector collaboration. Participants will include researchers, policymakers, people with lived experience, youth leaders, faith-based representatives, community organisations, health providers, and the media. Through keynote addresses, panel discussions, artistic expression, and collective reflection, the forum aims to create a space that is both strategic and healing in acknowledging the pain of suicide while charting pathways for action.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), every year, more than 700,000 people around the world die by suicide, with millions more affected in profound and lasting ways. In Africa, the crisis is particularly acute. The continent records the highest suicide rates globally yet has the lowest number of trained mental health professionals. Limited access to care, entrenched stigma, and widespread socioeconomic pressures compound the challenge, while silence and criminalization have long stifled open conversations. The decriminalisation of suicide in Kenya in 2023 marked an important turning point, but it is only the beginning of a broader journey toward compassionate and evidence-based prevention.

“Preventing youth suicide requires all of us to act with urgency and compassion. It is not enough to raise awareness. We must create systems of support that bring together science, policy, and community action. When we work hand in hand, we not only save young lives but also build a future grounded in hope, resilience, and opportunity. This event is a call to make suicide prevention everyone’s business, and to stand together in turning hope into action,” said Prof Zul Merali, Founding Director, Brain and Mind Institute, Aga Khan University.

The convening aims to promote safe public narratives that reduce stigma and encourage help-seeking, to elevate science-based dialogue on suicide prevention in the African context, to strengthen partnerships across sectors. It also aims to affirm the role of youth and persons with lived experience as co-creators of solutions. By the end of the forum, participants will have generated action-oriented recommendations, identified priority areas for joint initiatives, and built stronger research–policy–practice networks to drive meaningful change.

“Suicide is complex and rarely caused by a single factor. It is the third leading cause of death among youth (15–29 years), with 73% of cases in low-and middle-income countries, yet, stigma persists—viewing suicide as “weakness,” “irrational,” and most pejoratively, a “sin.” Greater understanding is vital to support those at risk. This joint workshop between SFA Foundation and the Brain and Mind Institute calls for collaborative efforts across communities, health systems, and policy to change the narrative and build a cohesive approach to addressing this urgent public health concern,” added Dr Byron Bitanihirwe, Programme Manager, SFA Foundation.

The SFA Foundation and the Brain and Mind Institute are committed to ensuring that suicide prevention moves beyond awareness into tangible impact. This forum is a call to collective action and a chance to translate policy into practice, science into community solutions, and silence into compassionate dialogue.