Britain’s Prime Minister, Theresa May has appointed Jackie Doyle Price as the country’s Suicide-prevention Minister as part of a national effort to reduce the number of people who take their own lives.


May named Price to the newly created portfolio as representatives of  over 50 countries gathered in London on Wednesday for a mental health summit. She also pledged 1.8 million pounds ($2.4 million) to ensure the Samaritans charity can continue to offer a free counselling hotline.


The Chief Executive Officer of the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), a movement dedicated to preventing male suicide, Simon Gunning described the appointment as groundbreaking.

 

Gunning said the move helps by shining a light on the menace of suicide and its devastating effects, de-stigmatizing the issue and continuing to build support for all those affected across the country.

Recent figures say some 4,500 people take their lives every year in England