To address the growing number of suicide cases as well as mental health issues, Google has launched a suicide hotline for Pakistan in collaboration with Umang Pakistan.
According to the Dawn newspaper, this allows users to get instant help from the top of the search results page when browsing anything related to suicide.
Recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO), Amang is a mental health helpline that helps vulnerable Pakistanis who have suicidal thoughts or plans.
According to the WHO, between 130,000 and 270,000 people attempt suicide in Pakistan every year.
At the same time, there is a growing interest in searching for mental health issues, with Google Trends reporting that topics such as anxiety, depression and suicide were on the rise in the country between 2020 and 2021.
“As we look at Trends (Google), Pakistanis are looking for answers about their mental health,” said Farhan Qureshi, Google’s regional director for Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
“We understand that time is of the essence when seeking help, especially for those who are experiencing suicidal thoughts,” he said.
“We hope this feature will help vulnerable users find help when they need it,” he said.
“Mental health is one of the biggest unresolved issues of our time, especially in a place like Pakistan where more than 40% of the population suffers from mental health problems,” said Kunza Naeem, founder and CEO of Amang Pakistan.
“We are very grateful to Google for this timely contribution, and I am confident that together we will be able to reach as many people as possible who are in dire need of mental health support and from across the country,” he said. Break the related taboo (something that is considered taboo).
Introduced by Google, this hotline update will be available on both desktop and mobile (Android / iOS).
