Suicide is a major global public health concern and one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Previous suicide attempts are one of the strongest predictors of future suicide risk, underscoring the need for effective prevention strategies. Central to these strategies is the establishment of robust surveillance systems that deliver accurate and timely data at both national and local levels. This article describes the development, implementation, and progress of Uruguay’s national real-time surveillance system for suicide attempts, which comprehensively covers all emergency departments across the country. The Ministry of Public Health conducts continuous monitoring of suicide attempt cases using a real-time surveillance system. This article also explores the implications of this system for suicide prevention at various levels and discusses future challenges and opportunities for optimizing its use to enhance public health interventions.

Suicide is a major public health concern, and Uruguay has one of the highest suicide mortality rates in the Americas. In 2022, the Ministry of Public Health implemented a real-time digital surveillance system for suicide attempts as part of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy. This study presents findings from its first year, analysing 4723 emergency department presentations nationwide. The age-standardised suicide attempt rate was 140.44 per 100,000 inhabitants, with women accounting for 71.6% of cases. Self-poisoning was the most common method, followed by hanging and suffocation for men and self-cutting for women. Nearly half of all attempts involved individuals aged 15–29, highlighting the need for youth-focused and gender-sensitive interventions. This study demonstrates the value of real-time surveillance systems in identifying at-risk groups, informing prevention efforts, and supporting timely interventions. While some challenges in system implementation remain, future efforts should focus on strengthening data integration, leveraging artificial intelligence for risk assessment, and improving follow-up care to reduce repeated attempts and overall suicide mortality.