Uganda should reform laws criminalising attempted suicide and address unemployment, gambling-related harm and gaps in mental health services as part of efforts to prevent suicide, two political leaders have said.
Rose Obigah, chairperson of the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Mental Health, said criminalising attempted suicide could discourage people experiencing mental health crises from seeking help, while Kampala Lord Mayor Ronald Balimwezo called for greater government investment in mental health care and action on economic pressures affecting young people.
The two leaders were speaking at the first African Regional Summit on Suicide Prevention 2026, organised by the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Mental Health, where they urged governments to translate policy commitments into accessible services and adequately funded interventions.
“Legal provisions that criminalise attempted suicide deserve particular attention and reform, so that people in crisis are encouraged to seek assistance rather than driven further into silence,” Obigah said.
The Terego District Woman Member of Parliament called on Parliament to review relevant laws, scrutinise public expenditure and hold government institutions accountable for delivering mental health services.
She said suicide prevention required coordinated action involving government ministries, local governments, schools, workplaces, health facilities and communities.
Obigah said stigma and limited access to professional support could prevent people experiencing psychological distress from seeking assistance. She urged authorities to bring services closer to communities and establish safe environments in which people could seek help without fear of discrimination.
She called on schools to support learners experiencing distress and urged workplaces, religious institutions and community leaders to help identify people who may need professional care.
The legislator also emphasised the need for adequate funding to recruit and retain qualified mental health professionals, warning that policies would have limited impact without the resources needed to implement them.
She said the parliamentary forum was engaging the Speaker of Parliament to secure greater support for mental health interventions and establish clear funding priorities.
“I am only waiting for technocrats to give us what exactly we should do and how much money should be reallocated directly,” Obigah said.
She called for stronger collaboration between the ministries responsible for health and education, local governments, civil society organisations and development partners.
Balimwezo Links Mental Health to Economic Pressures
Balimwezo said shortages of specialist personnel and pressure on existing facilities underscored the need to expand mental health services beyond national referral facilities.
He cited a visit to Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital, where he said more than 1,600 patients were being accommodated at a facility designed for 600.
The Lord Mayor also claimed that Uganda had fewer than 50 doctors specialising in mental health, arguing that the shortage limited access to treatment.
He called for mental health services to be integrated into schools, workplaces and community settings so that people could receive support before their conditions deteriorated.
Balimwezo also linked mental health concerns among young people to unemployment, betting and financial pressures, particularly among students struggling to meet education costs.
He recounted cases in which university students allegedly lost tuition money through gambling and subsequently struggled to pay their fees.
He urged educational institutions to identify students facing financial and personal difficulties and connect them to appropriate support before their problems escalated.
The Lord Mayor further raised concerns about enforcement measures affecting informal workers, including boda boda riders and market vendors, arguing that disruptions to livelihoods without viable alternatives could worsen economic insecurity.
He said young people who struggled to find formal employment after graduation could face further uncertainty when their existing sources of income were disrupted.
Balimwezo called for better planning to provide affordable working spaces for vendors and realistic alternatives for people whose livelihoods depend on informal employment.
He said government departments responsible for employment, education, housing, social protection and urban planning should be involved in suicide-prevention efforts alongside health authorities.
Both leaders called on Parliament to ensure that mental health policies were backed by funding, trained personnel and services that people could access within their communities.
Obigah also urged policymakers to involve people with lived experience of mental health challenges and families affected by suicide in decisions on prevention programmes.
She called on African countries to share evidence and effective practices while ensuring that recommendations from the summit translated into measurable action.
“Suicide prevention is not the responsibility of one ministry, one profession, or one organisation. It is a responsibility we all share,” she said.
The leaders’ proposals place emphasis on addressing both access to mental health care and wider social and economic pressures that may contribute to distress, with Parliament expected to play a role in reviewing legislation and scrutinising public spending.