800,000 commit suicide annually – WHO

The World Health Organisation has said no fewer than 800,000 people commit suicide annually, the second leading cause of death among people between the ages of 15 and 29, in 2016.

WHO made this known in a statement to commemorate the World Suicide Prevention Day, yesterday.

The global health agency said the common methods of suicide were hanging and firearms occurring in all countries and regions, whether rich or poor.

The UN health agencies estimated that a person died every 40 seconds by suicide and up to 25 times as many make a suicide attempt. To help communities to prevent suicides, WHO and the Mental Health Commission of Canada released a toolkit.