Efforts to advance suicide prevention across Africa are gaining momentum with the establishment of the Africa Suicide Prevention Association (ASPA) — the first regional body dedicated solely to suicide prevention on the continent. The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) welcomes ASPA as a new organisational member and looks forward to collaborating across shared priorities to reduce suicide and strengthen mental health support throughout the region.
Formed in early 2025, the Africa Suicide Prevention Association unites more than 1,000 members and over 80 organisations from 39 countries, fostering a collaborative platform to address pressing challenges in suicide prevention and mental health. Its work spans four key areas: promoting legal and policy reform, building advocacy and training capacity, amplifying the voices of those with lived experience, and developing Africa-led suicide prevention research.
In its inaugural year, ASPA has contributed to regional initiatives including campaigns on suicide decriminalisation and ethical media reporting, the creation of a survivor advocacy programme, and coordination of World Suicide Prevention Day 2025 activities that reached an estimated three million people across several countries.
Ongoing efforts aim to expand training, strengthen advocacy, and shape policy frameworks that keep lived experience at the centre of suicide prevention in Africa:
“Our vision is simple but urgent. Africa must change the narrative now. Every day Africa delays in addressing suicide, we lose more lives, more futures, and more hope. Suicide prevention cannot wait—it must be at the centre of our public health and human rights agenda.” Foday Sarr, President, ASPA.
