Ministers of health throughout the Americas have pledged to improve mental health care in their countries and a plan of action includes suicide prevention steps.
The plan of action on mental health was officially approved at the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) 53rd Directing Council meeting which started in Washington DC on September 29. The plan of action among other things calls for specific suicide-prevention interventions, including the improvement of information and surveillance systems. Suicide has been a major issue here and Guyana was recently classified in a PAHO/ World Health Organisation (WHO) report as the country with the highest rate of suicides for 2012.
According to a PAHO/WHO release, all 35 member states were represented. The action plan also includes the preparation of
