KARACHI: Google has launched a suicide hotline one box for Pakistan which permits users to connect rapidly with a suicide helpline at the top of the search results page, a declaration from the tech giant said.
Everyone in Pakistan searching for suicide-related queries such as:
“Suicide support” and “how can I commit suicide” will now be publicized the “Umang Pakistan’s” helpline, the proclamation said.
Acknowledged by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Umang is a mental health helpline that suggestions support to vulnerable Pakistanis ideating or planning suicide.
The tech giant said the partnership concerning Umang and Google aims to help throw the rising issue of suicides in Pakistan.
Permitting to WHO approximations, there are around 130,000 to 270,000 cases of attempted suicide in Pakistan each year.
In the meantime, search interest in mental health issues has been on the rise, the tech company said.
Adding that Google Trends showed that matters such as:
“Anxiety”, “depression” and “suicide” all peaked in the 2020-21 period in the country.
This Search update will be accessible on both desktop and mobile — Android/iOS.
“We understand time is of the essence when searching for help, especially for those who may be facing suicidal thoughts.
We hope that this feature aids vulnerable users in finding help in times of need,”
Said Google Regional Director for Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka Farhan Qureshi.
CEO Kinza Naeem:
Umang Pakistan CEO Kinza Naeem said that mental health is the biggest unaddressed problem of our era.
She claimed that in Pakistan more than 40% of the population is suffering from some degree of mental health issues.
We are utterly grateful to google for this timely partnership.
I am certain that together we will be able to reach out to the maximum number of people in dire need of mental health support and break the taboo around it nationwide.