Galdakao and Getxo Launch Community Initiatives to Prevent Suicide
To mark World Suicide Prevention Day, the community innovation initiatives Galdakao Zeugaz and Getxo Zurekin have launched various awareness-raising efforts to provide residents with information and support resources. Both initiatives—in which the Agirre Lehendakaria Center participates alongside local stakeholders in both municipalities and the Galdakao City Council—aim to strengthen care and prevention systems through active community participation.
As part of the work carried out in both municipalities, the K Tool platform and the efforts of community connectors—known as Ehulea in Galdakao and Lokarria in Getxo, a key role that Action Against Hunger is now also fulfilling—enable the community’s voice to be heard and help bridge the gap between public perception and institutional decisions. In this way, a network of shared responsibility is established that facilitates the co-creation of collective responses to situations of vulnerability.
Zurt Alert! The Pilot Project
In 2022, through a community co-creation session in Getxo, citizens themselves designed the information they considered essential to highlight in order to persuade and encourage people to ask for help. This collective effort gave rise to the Alerta Zurt! pilot project. From this participatory process emerged materials such as informational stickers to partner with local businesses and raise awareness of resources at locations frequented by residents—an initiative that was initially rolled out in municipalities such as Sopelana and Plentzia. In 2026, on the occasion of World Suicide Prevention Day, the Galdakao Zeugaz project joined the Alerta Zurt! movement.
Local Awareness and Information Resources in Galdakao
In Galdakao, the awareness campaign has been organized under the slogan “Garrantzitsua zara, entzuten zaitugu” ( You are important, we listen to you). Following in the footsteps of Alerta Zurt!, the initiative has placed stickers and informational brochures in local businesses to provide tools that help identify warning signs and offer avenues for assistance.
Among the materials distributed, the prevention guide stands out; it compiles helpline numbers such as the Osakidetza Health Council (900 203 050), the suicide prevention hotline (024), and emergency services (112). The document includes guidance on how to support and listen to people in times of difficulty without judging them. Additionally, the Galdakao City Council has created a dedicated section on its website featuring informational resources and risk factors.
Community Action in La Galea
Meanwhile, in Getxo, the “Alerta Zurt!” initiative—part of the “Getxo Zurekin” program—has organized a human chain in the area around La Galea. This peaceful demonstration aims to call for increased preventive measures, as well as the installation of informational signs and helplines in the area.
In both Galdakao and Getxo, these actions highlight the importance of strengthening local support networks and promoting holistic well-being through collaboration among institutions, professionals, community leaders, and citizens.