Suicide prevention
In 2019, approximately 703 000 people died due to suicide globally, and 1 in 4 of these deaths occurred in the Western Pacific Region. Suicide is a major public health issue across a wide range of settings from highly developed to small Pacific island countries and areas. Suicide rates in some countries in the Western Pacific are among the highest in the world. The risk of suicide is particularly concerning among young people in Pacific island countries and areas. For every death due to suicide, there can be 20 times as many suicide attempts, creating lasting impacts among families and loved ones as well.
If you are in crisis or know someone in danger of harming themselves, please contact your local emergency services.
Suicides are preventable. LIVE LIFE, WHO’s approach to preventing suicide, outlines key actions towards developing a comprehensive national suicide prevention strategy. These include limiting access to means for suicide, interacting with media for responsible reporting of suicide, fostering socio-emotional life skills among adolescents, and early identification, assessment, management and follow-up of persons affected by suicidal behaviors.
Additionally, it is critical to address factors that may increase the risk for poor mental health including, but not limited to, lack of access to care, economic insecurity, cultural norms, forced migration, social isolation and loneliness, stress, and climate change. Enhancing protective factors while reducing risk factors across the life course will contribute to preventing suicide.
The new Regional Framework for the Future of Mental Health in the Western Pacific calls for a systems approach to promoting and protecting mental health, including the prevention of suicide. It envisions a Region where people enjoy the highest level of mental health and well-being, grounded in social solidarity for a transformative environment for mental health and well-being in the Western Pacific.
The Framework identifies the following key strategies: 1) refocus the mental health agenda to include well-being and reaching the unreached through leadership that champions mental health for all; 2) transform mental health support and care into a community-based ecosystem of health and social services and innovations, enabled by a well-trained mental health workforce, delivering the full range of interventions, and underpinned by a responsive information system; and, 3) embed mental health into the settings and journeys of daily life by placing the well-being of communities at the centre and engaging partners within and beyond the health sector to help individuals, families and societies thrive and flourish.
These strategies complement and are fully aligned with global goals and initiatives on preventing suicide. A series of technical resources and materials for various key stakeholders, e.g., programme managers, policy makers, health workers, media, content creators, and community organizers, have been developed to support the creation of policies, programmes and plans to prevent suicide.
