The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has warned that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the risk factors associated with suicidal behaviors and has urged that suicide prevention be prioritised. According to head of the Mental Health Unit at PAHO, Renato Oliveira e Souza, suicide is an urgent public health problem and its prevention must be a national priority. 'We need concrete action from all elements of society to put an end to these deaths, and for governments to create and invest in a comprehensive national strategy to improve suicide prevention and care,' he stated. PAHO says studies have shown that