One person commits suicide every 40 seconds, WHO says

Geneva, September 4, 2014: More than 800,000 people die by committing suicide every year -- one person in every 40 seconds, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a report published Thursday.

According to the Global Report on Suicide Prevention, 75 percent of suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries, the WHO said.

“This report is a call for action to address a large public health problem which has been shrouded in taboo for far too long,” Director General of WHO Margaret Chan said in a statement.

The report pointed out that pesticide poisoning, hanging and firearms were among the most common methods of suicide globally. The report’s launch comes just a week before World Suicide Prevention Day, observed on Sep 10 every year.

Source: Morung Express