May 26, 2025
By: Getahun Tsegaye
Staff Reporter
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Felege Hiwot Comprehensive Specialized Hospital in Bahir Dar, Amhara region, Ethiopia, has reported a troubling increase in suicide cases, with 176 individuals taking their own lives over the past nine months.
Dr. Guade Tewabe, an emergency room doctor at the hospital, told Tikvah Ethiopia that “the number of young people committing suicide is increasing day by day.” He noted the severe frequency, stating, “Every day, a young person who has committed suicide comes to the hospital.” Dr. Guade highlighted a prevalent method, explaining that “most of them take a pesticide called metalophophide, which is sold as a rodent and cockroach killer.”
The doctor revealed that the majority of the 176 reported suicides involved young people between the ages of 15 and 30. He clarified that suicides are primarily confirmed through medical examination, supplemented by family information. “Information obtained from their families indicates that the words they spoke before harming themselves, as well as the container of the medication found next to them after they took it, confirm their suicide,” he said.
Dr. Guade also shared insights from interviews with survivors who quickly sought medical help, noting that they often cited “temporary conflicts with family and romantic partners, as well as reasons like ‘life is unbearable,’ as motives for attempting suicide.” He issued a strong warning regarding the accessibility of harmful substances: “Especially since pesticides and disinfectants are being used for purposes other than their intended use, strict control must be implemented to prevent their widespread availability in the market.”
Providing further context, Dr. Mathewos Misane, a psychiatrist at Felege Hiwot General Specialized Hospital, told Tikvah Ethiopia that “90 to 95 percent of suicides worldwide are caused by mental health disorders, while the remaining 5 percent are due to temporary conflicts with romantic partners or family.” He identified the “root causes of mental health disorders” as “anxiety, depression, and an inability to respond to problems or situations with one’s own capacity.”
Dr. Mathewos elaborated on common warning signs of suicidal ideation, including:Being isolated, anxiety, falling into depression, repeatedly talking about suicide, and making statements like “I shouldn’t exist, I wish I hadn’t been born,” and showing signs of hopelessness.
He advised against keeping dangerous items like ropes, poisons, and sharp objects near individuals at risk. For solutions, he pointed to ensuring access to psychological counseling and mental health services, and engaging in activities that reduce stress and anxiety. He also urged close relatives to vigilantly monitor emotional and behavioral changes and “not to ignore their statements.”
Religious leaders are also weighing in on the crisis. Melake Birhane Fisseha Tilahun, Chief Secretary of the Bahir Dar Diocese of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, told Tikvah Ethiopia that “Humans lose hope when they distance themselves from their Creator.” He asserted that such spiritual distancing “leads to moral degradation, which makes one despise their identity, created in God’s image, and lose dignity.”
He described suicide as “the work of the devil,” aiming to “prevent them from inheriting the eternal life after death.” Melake Birhane emphasized that “Because young people do not understand this long-term plan of the devil, they end their precious lives over small, even rectifiable, matters. Young people must understand the devil’s agenda.”
He urged, “Leaders in all religions teach that suicide is a sin, so when young people feel hopeless, they should go to religious institutions.” He advised the youth saying, “They should confess at the feet of religious fathers, learn God’s word, and pray.”
“Since everything is accomplished by God’s will, young people must place their full trust in God,” he offered fatherly advice.
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