BBC Persian (Translated by RAWA), July 31, 2010

2300 Women and Girls Commit Suicide in Afghanistan Each Year

Mr. Kakkar said that on the basis of the above information the rate of suicide among women is 5 out of every 100,000

A recent research in Afghanistan shows that the number of women committing suicide in the country has been increasing.

The advisor of the president of Afghanistan in health matters estimates that each year 2300 Afghan women and girls, aged between 15 to 40 years who suffer from depression, commit suicide.
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Faiz Mohammad Kakkar, the advisor of the president of Afghanistan in healthcare matters who took part in this research said that the reason for 90% of the suicides were acute depression or mental illnesses.

While speaking at a press conference in Kabul he said that presently the number of women with acute depression in Afghanistan is 28% (nearly 2 million people) of the population of the country.

This research is based on the collection of information and statistics from hospitals all over Afghanistan. Suicides or suicide attempts that had been recorded in hospitals in Afghanistan make a huge part of this research.

Therefore, the suicide cases that had not been recorded in hospitals for different reasons were not included in this research.

Reasons for Depression

The advisor of the president of Afghanistan in health matters estimates that each year 2300 Afghan women and girls, aged between 15 to 40 years who suffer from depression, commit suicide.

Mr. Kakkar said that on the basis of the above information the rate of suicide among women is 5 out of every 100,000. Mr. Kakkar said that the continuation of civil wars and violence in Afghanistan, immigration, early and forced marriages, rape, domestic violence and widespread poverty in families are viewed as the main reasons for mental illnesses and depression in Afghanistan.

The report Mr. Kakkar gave to the media also included the effects of drugs on Afghan women and depression among them.

In 2008 the Ministry of Public Health of Afghanistan had estimated that two-thirds of the Afghan population suffered from mental illnesses. But the officials of this ministry said that all the people suffering from mental illnesses included in this research don’t need treatment.

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