By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – World health agency on Wednesday reported that over 720,000 people commit suicide every year and many more attempt it.
Head of the WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has called for “shifting the narrative” on the issue “to challenge harmful myths, reduce stigma and foster compassionate conversations.”
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was speaking on World Suicide Prevention Day, which is marked annually on 10 September said that “each life lost leaves a profound impact on families, friends, colleagues and entire communities.”
WHO gathered the data showed all age groups are affected by suicide and was the third leading cause of death among 15–29-year-olds globally in 2021.
It noted that suicide does not occur in high-income countries and impacts all regions of the world.
WHO reported that close to three quarters of global suicides occurred in low and middle-income countries.
The average number of suicides across the world in 2021 was 8.9 per 100,000 people.
In Africa the figure stood at 11.5, in both Europe and Southeast Asia the number of suicides was recorded at 10.1 per 100,000 people.
The lowest suicide rate was in the Eastern Mediterranean region at 4.0 per 100,000, while in the Western Pacific it was 7.5 per 100,000.
WHO stated that the link between suicide and mental disorders, in particular, depression and alcohol use disorders, and a previous suicide attempt is well established in high-income nations.
Many suicides happen impulsively in moments of crisis with a breakdown in the ability to deal with life stresses, such as financial problems, relationship disputes, or chronic pain and illness.
The experiencing conflict, disaster, violence, abuse or loss and a sense of isolation are strongly associated with suicidal behavior.
Suicide rates are high among vulnerable groups who experience discrimination, such as refugees and migrants, indigenous peoples, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex persons and incarcerated prisoners.
Tedros said “We must move from silence to openness, from stigma to empathy, and from neglect to support,”.
“We must create environments where people feel safe to speak up and seek help,” he said.
“Shifting the narrative on suicide also means driving systemic change, where governments prioritize and invest in quality mental health care and policies to ensure everyone gets the support they need.”
According to the 2024 Mental Health Atlas report by WHO, median government spending on mental health has remained at a modest 2 percent of total health budgets since 2017.
There is a significant disparity between high-income and low-income nations. The high-income nations allocate up to $65 per person to mental health, low-income nations spend as little as $0.04.
WHO recognizes mental health as a universal human rights.
UN agency said that there are effective measures that can be taken to prevent suicide and self-harm.
The agency’s initiative for suicide prevention, recommends the following key effective evidence-based interventions:
Limit access to the means of suicide (eg, pesticides, firearms, certain medications, interact with the media for responsible reporting of suicide; foster socio-emotional life skills in adolescents; early identify, assess, manage and follow up anyone who is affected by suicidal behaviors.
