I am pleased to share my second message of the year with updates for you all on our recent activities, developments on the horizon, and the many ways in which you can engage with our work in the months ahead.
It was a privilege and a joy to begin the year with IASP’s partnership with the SNEHA Suicide Update in Chennai, India, in February. This was an inspiring gathering, bringing together many of the most respected and influential voices in the field of suicide prevention, and the feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive. IASP was proud not only to be a partner of this important conference, but to contribute directly through the hosting of a Partnerships for Life workshop and a dedicated panel on suicide prevention in women and girls. The panel brought together leading international experts to examine the unique risk factors, data trends, and interventions that shape suicidal behaviour among women and girls. The recording has now been converted into an episode of IASP’s Reach In, Reach Out podcast, released on International Women’s Day. The episode features Professor Keith Hawton, Professor Prabha Chandra, and Professor Ann John in conversation with Dr Lakshmi Vijayakumar and me, and I warmly encourage you to listen and share widely.
The event was also a celebration of our friend and colleague Dr Lakshmi Vijayakumar, whose founding of SNEHA in 1986 and decades of tireless work across psychiatry, community action, and policy have shaped suicide prevention far beyond India’s borders. It is entirely fitting that IASP has honoured that legacy through the establishment of the IASP Lakshmi Vijayakumar Rising Star Award for Impact and Innovation, which will recognise early to mid-career professionals making cross-sectoral contributions to the field. Congratulations to you Lakshmi!
Looking to the second half of this year, IASP will be hosting newly formatted regional forums with the Asia Pacific Regional Forum in Fiji in September and the Pan-America Regional Forum in Costa Rica in November. These forums reflect a more collaborative, accessible and inclusive approach to regional engagement, creating opportunities for the suicide prevention field to connect and learn closer to home. Registrations and abstract submissions are now open, and I encourage members in these regions to join us.
I am also delighted we are working towards our next World Congress in Sri Lanka in June 2027. The World Congress is the cornerstone of IASP’s global convening work, and we look forward to welcoming the international suicide prevention community to what will be a landmark event. More details, including finalised dates, will be shared as planning progresses.
In terms of some updates from the IASP Board, we have had a busy start to the year. Following the passing of the governance resolutions at the close of 2025, we are working on recruiting two external experts and on the elections of Lived Experience representation to the Board, and will shortly be reviewing the bylaws in consultation with the National Representatives, to ensure agility within the organisation. Vice President, Dr Sandy Onie, is leading a subcommittee of the Board to focus on membership and engagement with individuals and organisations in LMIC. We will also be reviewing IASP’s funding policy together with a reserve policy for sustainability and agility purposes. Alongside all this, we have been working with an HR consultant who is helping us review IASP’s HR policies and procedures in line with the growth of our organisation. If anyone has any questions about any of this, please reach out.
IASP’s advocacy work also continues. As the World Health Assembly approaches in May, IASP will be delivering statements to the main agenda, and we are working to contribute to side events on issues of growing relevance to our field, including artificial intelligence and suicide prevention, access to pesticides, and mental health law and policy.
There is much more happening across IASP throughout the year – in our Special Interest Groups, Partnerships for Life, our taskforces, and our campaigns. I warmly invite you to continue checking in with us and to look out for opportunities to engage with different parts of our work. Suicide prevention is a collective endeavour, and every one of you is part of what makes IASP the organisation it is.
