‘Break the Silence’: A new mental health awareness movement

CAIRO – 2 November 2017: Young Egyptian Ally Salama launched a mental health awareness movement in Egypt called "Break the Silence" through social media platforms.

Founded on October 16 by the Canada-based musician, "Break the Silence" strives to end the stigma surrounding mental health in Egypt. The platform allows youngsters who are suffering from mental health to speak up in order to raise awareness about the topic.



"Break the Silence" also provides a safe space for people who are suffering from mental illnesses. Ultimately, "Break the Silence" would like to provide a highly active suicide prevention hotline in Egypt in order to help those in need of immediate help.

Since its launch, the movement is surely gaining popularity on social media with more than 800 followers on Facebook. Young victims send in stories to the page, and then "Break the Silence" team post these experiences on their page anonymously with an aim to raise awareness about mental health.

In 15 days, the page has compiled more than 70 stories allowing other victims to know that they are not alone.



800,000 people commit suicide every year, approximately one person every 40 seconds. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people aged between 13 and 29 globally as a result of depression, according tothe World Health Organization (WHO).

Around 78 percent of suicides occurred in low-and middle-income countries in 2015. Suicide accounted for 1.4 percent of all deaths worldwide making it the 17th leading cause of death in 2015. Effective and evidence-based interventions can be implemented at different levels to prevent suicide and suicide attempts.