AMARAVATI, Sept. 9, 2026: The Andhra Pradesh Health and Medical Department is expanding a multi-pronged suicide prevention programme focused on early identification of mental health concerns, timely counselling and wider access to professional psychological services, Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav said on Wednesday.
In a statement ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day on Sept. 10, the minister said the government was working to create an environment in which people could speak openly about mental health and seek help without stigma. Awareness and counselling programmes are being conducted in schools, colleges, welfare institutions, hostels and old-age homes. Teachers, auxiliary nurse midwives, ASHA workers and other frontline personnel are also being trained to identify early warning signs of psychological distress and suicidal thoughts, while referral systems are being strengthened to ensure timely medical care.
Between 2023 and 2025, the department conducted 463 suicide-prevention awareness programmes in schools and 308 in colleges, reaching about 40,740 school students and 35,598 college students. Programmes were also held in 307 welfare schools and hostels, where 17,308 students received counselling. About 3,086 teachers were trained to recognise signs of mental stress and suicide risk. A further 266 awareness and prevention programmes were conducted in sub-jails and juvenile homes.
Nuzvid IIIT Pilot Shows Positive Results
The department’s pilot suicide-prevention programme at IIIT Nuzvid, built around continuous counselling and mental-health support, has reported a significant decline in suicide cases, according to the minister. The institution recorded two cases in 2021, four in 2022 and one in 2023, while no cases have been reported in 2024, 2025 or so far in 2026. Based on the reported results, the government plans to introduce similar pilot programmes at vulnerable educational institutions located in remote areas away from major cities.
Tele-MANAS Expands Access to Mental Health Support
The state is also relying on Tele-MANAS to make mental-health services more accessible. The toll-free number 14416 provides counselling, crisis support, risk assessment and referrals for further medical care when required. The service has seen a sharp increase in calls, from 523 in 2022 to about 18,000 in 2023, 20,000 in 2024, 17,000 in 2025 and 31,000 so far in 2026.
Of the 86,529 Tele-MANAS calls received in the state so far, 2.16% were related to concerns involving suicide, the minister said. Tele-MANAS centres currently operate at Siddhartha Medical College in Vijayawada and the Government Hospital for Mental Care in Visakhapatnam. A third centre has been proposed for Tirupati. The government plans to develop all three centres as 24-hour hubs providing access to mental-health specialists and direct counselling.
Awareness Drives Planned Across the State
As part of World Suicide Prevention Day activities, ANMs and ASHA workers attached to primary health centres received virtual gatekeeper training on Sept. 8 under district mental-health teams. Awareness programmes for engineering and degree college students were being held on Sept. 9.
On Sept. 10, the department will organise information, education and communication campaigns, human chains, awareness rallies and a “Start the Conversation” photo campaign. Public awareness about suicide prevention and Tele-MANAS services will also be carried through television, radio and other media platforms.
Satya Kumar said suicide prevention could not be treated as the responsibility of the Health Department alone. Families, educational institutions, teachers, healthcare workers, voluntary organisations and the wider community all had a role to play, he said. This year’s campaign carries the message: “One small conversation can save a life. Talk. Listen. Live.”
