'Moner Bondhu' partners with WHO to prevent youth suicide in Bangladesh
To strengthen mental health among adolescents and young people in Bangladesh and prevent suicide, Moner Bondhu, Bangladesh’s largest mental health platform, launched a project titled “Conducting WHO’s LIVE LIFE for Suicide Prevention in Bangladesh: Fostering Socio-Emotional Life Skills of Young People.”
The event, held Thursday at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in Dhaka marked the official launch of this landmark initiative, reports a press release. Speakers at the event expressed optimism that the project will play a transformative role in enhancing the mental well-being of adolescents and youth in Bangladesh by promoting resilience, emotional intelligence, and positive coping mechanisms.
The meeting was attended by representatives from the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, National Institute of Mental Health, World Health Organization Bangladesh, UNDP, UNESCO, UNICEF, BCCP, Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University, North South University, and relevant stakeholders.
Through this project, a total of 20,000 adolescents and youth across Chapainawabganj, Sylhet, Jashore, and Jhenaidah districts will receive training on Socio-Emotional Life Skills. In addition, 40 master trainers and 488 facilitators will be trained to deliver these capacity-building sessions nationwide at educational and community levels.
The project will be implemented in two phases and will include assessment of social, psychological, and contextual risk factors; adaptation and development of socio-emotional learning curricula and training modules; implementation of training sessions; and establishment of community support networks to sustain the initiative.
Speaking at the event, Tawhida Shiropa, founder and CEO of Moner Bondhu, said, “Suicide is a major concern among young people in Bangladesh. By localising the WHO’s LIVE LIFE framework, we aim to create a sustainable socio-emotional environment that fosters confidence, resilience, and a positive mindset among youth. Through this initiative, we are committed to building a safe and empathetic ecosystem that supports young people’s mental health.”
Ishakul Kabir, programme officer at WHO Bangladesh, added, “This collaboration between Moner Bondhu and government stakeholders presents a strong, evidence-based model for suicide prevention. We believe this project will be a milestone in advancing youth’s mental health in Bangladesh.”
Moner Bondhu, a leading mental health and well-being organisation in Bangladesh, has provided mental health support to more than 9.2 million people in less than a decade. Over 350,000 individuals have received direct counselling and psychosocial support from Moner Bondhu.
At the same time, Moner Bondhu has been working with various educational institutions, government, and non-government organisations across the country to promote mental health awareness, conduct training, and carry out initiatives to make mental health services accessible for all.
The project will be implemented in close collaboration with WHO Bangladesh, the Directorate General of Health Services, National Institute of Mental Health, Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education. Speakers at the event reaffirmed their commitment to working collectively to ensure the mental health and well-being of young people and to prevent suicide in Bangladesh.