According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) report, almost 130,000 to 270,000 people attempt suicide in Pakistan each year. To stop the rising number of suicides and to help people with mental health issues, Google while collaborating with Umang Pakistan launched a hotline on Thursday, reported local media.
Umang is a mental health helpline recognized by WHO, they support people dealing with mental traumas. Due to this helpline if anyone tries to search anything related to suicide on google it will direct them to get help immediately.
According to the google trends in the year 2020-21 anxiety, depression and suicide were the top searched words.
“As we see from Trends [Google], Pakistanis are looking for answers about their mental health. 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 Farhan Qureshi Google Regional Director of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka
Founder of Umang Pakistan Kinza Naeem thanked Google for stepping up and helping them with such a serious issue in society. The hotline update will be also available on the mobile phone.
