World Suicide Prevention Day 3, 000 people end their lives daily
KARACHI: World Suicide Prevention Day was observed around the globe on Monday with focus on suicide prevention from youth to old age.
This theme was adopted to emphasise that people of all ages committed suicide and actions to prevent it included in national responses should meet the needs of different age groups.
This day is an opportunity for people all over the world to unite in commitment and action to prevent suicide. People with mental illnesses should receive adequate treatment and community-based care. Close follow up should be available to people who attempt suicide, access to common methods of suicides must he restricted and media reports of suicides should be more measured, said the World Health Organization (WHO) in a statement.
Too many people of all ages needlessly take their own fives. Almost 3,000 people commit suicide every day on average. The loss of a person who kills himself shatters the lives of his family and friends every 30 seconds. For every person who commits suicide, 20 or more may attempt it. The emotional impact of suicide or such an attempt on family and friends may last for several years.
There is growing awareness of suicide as a major public health problem, even though many societies do not openly discuss it. Suicide rates have increased by 60% over the last 50 years and the increase has been particularly marked in developing countries worldwide.
Although reported suicide is now among the three leading global causes of death among young people aged 15 to 34 years, the majority of suicides are reported in adults and older adults (60 years and older).
The WHO supports suicide prevention initiatives around the world to address the issue of suicide among people of all ages. It works with governments and other partners such as the International Association for Suicide Prevention to ensure that suicide is no longer seen as a taboo or an acceptable result of personal or social crises, but as a health condition influenced by psychoÂsocial, cultural and environmental risk factors which can he prevented through national responses which address the main local risk factors for suicide.
WHO’s role is to build political commitment and leadership- to develop national responses for preventing suicide, strengthening national planning capacity to build such a national response and building national capacities to implement these responses.
Huge progress can be made if Governments commit to defining national responses to prevent suicide among all ages. If we build networks and alliances to promote common approaches which support governments in planning and implementing their national responses, we will find that suicide is a huge but largely preventable public health problem.PPI
Source: Daily Times
Date:9/11/2007
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