WASHINGTON D.C., United States, Friday September 5, 2014, CMC –Two Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries have some of the highest suicide rates in the world, according to figures released by the World Health Organization (WHO).
It said that in the Americas, the average estimated suicide rate is 7.3 per 100,000 inhabitants, which is lower than in other WHO regions and lower than the global average of 11.4 per 100,000.
“However, Guyana has the highest estimated suicide rate for 2012 in the world, and Suriname has the sixth-highest.”
The WHO said that data from the Americas show that suicide rates first peak among young people, remain at the same level for other age groups, and rise again among older men.
(Credit: WHO)According to the WHO first global report on suicide prevention published on Thursday, more than 800,000 people around the world die from suicide every year – around one person every 40 seconds.
The WHO report titled “Preventing suicide: a global imperative” seeks to make suicide a top priority on the global public health agenda.
It has been launched a few days before World Suicide Prevention Day is observed on September 10.
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The report noted that an estimated 75 per cent of suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries.
“Unfortunately, suicide all too often fails to be prioritized as a major public health problem,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan.
“Despite an increase in research and knowledge about suicide and its prevention, the taboo and stigma surrounding suicide persist, and often people do not seek help or are left alone. And if they do seek help, many health systems and services fail to provide timely and effective help.”
The report notes that, globally, rates of suicide are highest in people aged 70 years and over. In some countries, however, the highest rates are found among the young.
The WHO noted that suicide is the second-leading cause of death in 15- to 29-year-olds globally.
In general, more men die by suicide than women. In countries of the Americas, rates range 2 to 6 times higher for men than for women.
It said pesticide poisoning is one of the most common methods of suicide, especially in low- and middle-income countries, and accounts for one-third of cases globally.
“The relatively high proportion of suicides by firearms in high-income countries is primarily driven by high-income countries in the Americas, where firearms account for 46 per cent of all suicides; in high-income countries outside the Americas, firearms account for only 4.5 per cent of suicides.
“Evidence shows that limiting access to the means of suicide can help prevent such deaths, as can a commitment by national governments to the establishment and implementation of coordinated plans of action,” the Who reported.
“The most important message is that suicide can be prevented, especially if we identify people at risk and intervene early,” said Dr. Jorge Rodriguez, chief of the Mental Health Unit at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Regional Office for the Americas.
“People who have attempted suicide are at higher risk of attempting it again, he noted, making it important for health personnel to provide follow-up of such cases, with family and community support.”
The new WHO report identifies a series of measures that can help prevent suicide, including creating national strategies for suicide prevention; restricting access to the most common means of suicide, including pesticides, firearms and certain medicines and providing medical follow-up for people who have attempted suicide.
In addition, the WHO is advocating that countries should incorporate suicide prevention as a central component in health services, identify and treat mental health and substance abuse disorders as early as possible and that there should also be responsible reporting on suicide by the news media.
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Guyana, Suriname among countries with World’s highest suicide rates
