New study highlights major gaps in data needed for suicide prevention in Africa
New research from the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) and the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cape Town (UCT) highlights the urgent need for better suicide surveillance across Africa, warning that without reliable data, the continent cannot effectively track or respond to its suicide burden.
The study, published in Lancet Regional Health – Africa, draws on Global Burden of Disease (GBD) estimates to provide the most comprehensive analysis to date of suicide mortality in Africa, covering 54 countries and 5 subregions over 33 years, from 1990 to 2023.
The work was led by Giloume Van der Walt of the Mental Health, Alcohol, Substance Use and Tobacco Research Unit (MASTRU) at the SAMRC, with input from Professors Jason Bantjes and Dan Stein.
Nearly 100,000 lives lost every year
The study reports that according to GBD estimates, close to 100,000 people die by suicide across Africa every year. Van der Walt said, “Suicide deaths represent a substantial toll that has been largely overlooked in global health discussions on the continent.”
"Suicide is often thought of as a problem for high-income countries, but our findings show that Africa carries a very real and significant burden," said Van der Walt. "These are not just statistics. The numbers remind us that close to 100,000 families every year lose someone to suicide."
Men are consistently at higher risk
Across every age group studied, men were significantly more likely to die by suicide than women. The gap between male and female suicide rates was smallest among adolescents, at roughly two male deaths for every female death, and widened to around four to one in adulthood.
"This isn't a pattern unique to Africa, but the consistency of it across every country and age group we looked at is striking," said Bantjes. "It tells us that prevention efforts need to take a hard look at what's driving risk specifically among men and boys, particularly as they move into adulthood."
Rates have held steady, even as deaths have increased
While the total number of suicide deaths in Africa roughly doubled between 1990 and 2023, this largely reflects population growth. Once the researchers adjusted for age and population size, suicide rates across the continent stayed relatively stable over the three decades.
A clear divide between North and South
The study found sharp regional differences in suicide rates. Northern Africa had the lowest rate, at 2.4 deaths per 100,000 people, while Central Africa (15.3 per 100,000) and Southern Africa (13.5 per 100,000) had the highest.
"We see a consistent North-to-South gradient across the continent," said Van der Walt. "Understanding why suicide rates differ so much between regions is a critical next step, and it's a question that better data will help us answer."
The bigger problem: we don't really know
Despite these findings, the researchers caution that the picture is far from complete. Wide margins of uncertainty surround most of the estimates, especially those tracking change over time, meaning it's currently not possible to say with confidence whether suicide rates in most African countries are rising, falling, or staying the same.
"The honest answer is that for most of the continent, we simply don't have the data to know what's really happening," said Bantjes. "That uncertainty is itself an important finding. It tells us where the gaps are, and it's a warning that we can't manage what we can't measure."
This data gap also means that progress toward Sustainable Development Goal target 3.4.2 (which commits countries to reducing suicide mortality) cannot be reliably tracked in most African countries, simply because the surveillance systems needed to detect change do not yet exist.
A call for investment in data systems
The researchers argue that strengthening civil registration and cause-of-death certification systems across Africa is not a bureaucratic afterthought, but a fundamental precondition for effective suicide prevention.
"You can't set priorities or know whether prevention strategies are working without reliable data on who is dying, where, and why," said Van der Walt. "Prevention targets cannot be meaningfully pursued, let alone achieved, without the basic infrastructure to count the dead. Investing in these systems isn't just a technical fix - it's a public health necessity."
About the study
The research was conducted by MASTRU at the South African Medical Research Council, in collaboration with the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cape Town (UCT). It was published in Lancet Regional Health – Africa.
If you or someone you know needs help: Please contact the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) Suicide Crisis Helpline (24/7): 0800 567 567, SMS: 31393, WhatsApp: 076 882 2775 (8am – 5pm, 7 days a week) and website: www.sadag.org
Media contact:
Yolanda Phakela
SAMRC Public Relations Manager
Yolanda.Phakela@mrc.ac.za