This district of Pakistan is in discussion, 122 suicides recorded in nine months!

A district of Sindh province of Pakistan is in the news for wrong reasons. The name of the district is Tharparkar and it has been identified by the increase in suicide rate. According to media reports, 122 people committed suicide here between January and September.

Despite a population of 1,778,407 and spread over seven taluks, access to specialized mental health services in Tharparkar is very limited. People living in remote villages of the district face difficulty in getting medical and psychological support due to lack of staff, lack of adequate health facilities and dilapidated roads.

According to a report in 'The Friday Times', Pakistan's health department has appointed two trained professionals to address the mental health problems of people in Tharparkar.

Frequent droughts have further increased the problems of the people of Tharparkar. Most families in rural areas of Tharparkar depend on rain and livestock for their livelihoods, making them extremely vulnerable to water scarcity, climate change, crop failure and livestock loss.

Drought victims are often forced to migrate to irrigated areas (barrage areas) of Sanghar, Mirpurkhas and Badin districts in search of agricultural work and daily wage labour. This disrupts family life and community relations in the district.

Men in Tharparkar often migrate alone in search of work. However, during situations like drought and famine, sometimes even entire families leave their villages in search of drinking water, food and livelihood opportunities. Such displacement creates mental stress, insecurity and uncertainty about their future in the minds of the people of Tharparkar.

According to 'The Friday Times' report, children in Tharparkar are most affected by poverty and migration. Frequent displacement impacts their education, and financial constraints often force them to leave school and work to support their families.

Women also face many problems in Tharparkar; They have to travel long distances to fetch drinking water and collect fuel (wood) for cooking. Additionally, they also have to support their families through agricultural work such as cotton harvesting. Apart from these responsibilities, poverty also leads to health crises.

In some cases, Tharparkar women also face physical and mental stress due to domestic violence. Ali Nawaz Rahimu said in a report in 'The Friday Times', “Although suicide is a serious problem and cannot be linked to any one cause, persistent poverty, unemployment, family discord, social pressure, displacement and inadequate support for mental health can cause mental distress among people in Tharparkar.

Nevertheless, there is a need for in-depth research, rather than mere speculation, to find out the real reasons behind the increase in suicide cases in Tharparkar. To understand the true situation, it is also necessary to compare Tharparkar with the figures of previous years.”

According to the report, the Sindh government should strengthen health services by appointing psychiatrists, psychologists and counselors at hospitals and rural health centers in Tharparkar.

The government should launch 'mobile mental health teams' and referral services in places where transport facilities are poor and people's access to health services is limited. Additionally, authorities should organize community awareness programs to increase awareness among people, reduce social stigma associated with mental health, and help people recognize early symptoms of mental stress.