By Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia
Every 40 seconds a person commits suicide somewhere in the world. Every year more than 800 000 deaths are caused by suicide and there are several other attempted suicide cases. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15–29-year-olds globally.
The WHO South-East Asia Region contributes to 39% of global suicides. Suicide in the Region is mainly a problem of the younger age groups. As large numbers of people in the Region are predominantly rural, the occurrence of suicides is generally much higher in the rural parts of South-East Asia.
Suicide needs attention as a public health problem not only because of the huge social and emotional burden it has on the family and society, but also because of the scope of prevention that it presents. Suicide is preventable with timely, evidence-based low-cost interventions. Measures can be taken at population, subpopulation and individual levels to prevent suicide and suicide attempts.
On the World Suicide Prevention Day 2015, WHO calls for collective efforts to reach out to those in need of support. At the individual level, early identification of mental disorders and appropriate management and recognition of suicidal behaviors is helpful. Large-scale advocacy efforts are required to reduce the stigma related to suicides. The World Suicide Prevention Day is a call for action by countries, organizations, communities and individuals for joint action to raise awareness about suicide and suicide prevention.
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