Estepona celebrates the 10th 'Darkness into Light' Solidarity March for suicide awareness and prevention

The councilor assigned to the Sports delegation, Luis Gil; the representative of the 'Pieta House' Foundation, Michael Ohalloran; and the president of the Association of Relatives and People with Mental Illness of the Costa del Sol (AFESOL), Cristian González, presented the charity event 'Darkness into Light', which will take place in Estepona and various parts of the world this upcoming Saturday, May 10.

"I encourage the public to participate in this charity activity that raises funds each year for awareness and suicide prevention programs, as well as for intervention and support for people who have experienced the loss of a loved one due to this cause," Gil commented.

For his part, the president of AFESOL, Cristian González, thanked the City Council for its sensitivity to this issue and the support it offers each year to this initiative. "The activity will consist of a 5-kilometer charity walk along the Promenade, from Malva Beach bar to Mirador del Carmen. The march will start at 06:00 AM while it is still dark and will end with daylight, symbolizing the journey from darkness to light that people at risk of suicide go through," he detailed.

Lastly, Michael Ohalloran explained that 'Darkness into Light' "was born in Dublin 16 years ago, promoted by the 'Pieta House' foundation and in 2024 managed to gather more than 160,000 participants worldwide."

National Suicide Prevention Plan

According to the Statista portal, taking into account data from the INE, in 2023 a total of 4,116 people took their own lives in Spain. Nearly three-quarters of these suicides were men, who recorded higher figures than women in all age groups, except for those under 15 years old. By age group, the range with the highest number of suicides was from 30 to 39 years old.

On February 14, 2025, the Interterritorial Council of the National Health System approved the Action Plan for Suicide Prevention 2025-2027, a document that recognizes suicidal behavior as a public health problem and proposes measures to improve detection, care, and monitoring of people at risk.

The plan works on 6 lines of action: quality information, awareness, prevention in vulnerable groups, integration in all policies, health approach, and a comprehensive focus. Among the measures, improvements in epidemiological surveillance, awareness campaigns, strengthening of the suicide risk code, training for professionals, and specific protocols in health, education, and media stand out. Attention to survivors and relatives is also reinforced.