Suicide every 40 seconds, says shocking report
What you need to know:
- Suicide is the second leading cause of death in young people aged between 15 and 29, the report released on Wednesday says.
- It further says that each year, over 800,000 people take their own lives.
Dar es Salaam. At least 40 seconds, someone commits suicide somewhere across the globe, according to a new report by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Suicide is the second leading cause of death in young people aged between 15 and 29, the report released on Wednesday says.
It further says that each year, over 800,000 people take their own lives.
In Tanzania, suicide remains a challenge. The country has reported a significant number of cases in the recent past. It was ranked top ten among countries with the highest rates of suicide by the WHO 2014 World Suicide Report.
The report places Tanzania—alongside Nepal—at position eight—both countries recording 25 suicide deaths per 100, 000 people per year.
“Suicide is a serious public health problem; however, suicides are preventable with timely, evidence-based and often low-cost interventions,” says the new report.
For national responses to be effective, a comprehensive multi-sectorial suicide prevention strategy is needed, WHO notes.
The health body wants to reduce the rate of suicide by 10 per cent by 2020, but warned that just a few countries have a national suicide prevention strategy.
Around 30 per cent of global suicides are executed through pesticide self-poisoning, most of which occur in rural agricultural areas in low- and middle-income countries. Other common methods of suicide are hanging and firearms.
