Saving lives, restoring hope: a roadmap for suicide prevention in the Middle East and North Africa region

This concluding chapter synthesizes the key findings on suicide in the Middle East and North Africa region, identifying the main determinants: socioeconomic factors, political instability and conflict, family and social dynamics, religious beliefs and practices, gender disparities, and youth vulnerability. The analysis of social welfare systems reveals distinct challenges and policy implications across stable regimes, countries facing political and economic crises, and those grappling with war. To address the complex factors contributing to suicide, the chapter proposes a comprehensive public policy agenda encompassing seven strategies: strengthening social welfare systems, integrating mental health into primary healthcare, promoting community-based interventions, addressing socioeconomic determinants, enhancing governance, investing in research and data systems, and fostering regional cooperation. The chapter highlights the need for more comprehensive data, evaluation of existing prevention programs, and identification of best practices. Successful implementation requires sustained political commitment, adequate resources, and engagement of multiple stakeholders, while overcoming stigma. The chapter calls for prioritizing suicide prevention in the Middle East and North Africa region through a comprehensive, evidence-based, and culturally sensitive approach.