Worldwide, one person takes their own life every 40 seconds and more people die by suicide every year than in war, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday.
WHO has urged Governments to adopt suicide prevention plans to help people cope with stress and to reduce access to suicide means.
"Suicide is a global public health issue. All ages, sexes and regions of the world are affected (and) each loss is one too many," WHO's report said.
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Suicide was the second leading cause of death among young people aged between 15 and 29 after road injury, and the second biggest killer among teenage girls aged 15 to 19 after maternal conditions. In teenage boys, suicide ranked third behind road injury and interpersonal violence.
Overall, close to 800,000 people die by suicide every year - more than those killed by malaria, breast cancer, by war or homicide, WHO said.
Global rates have fallen in recent years - with a 9.8 percent decrease between 2010 and 2016 - but declines were patchy. In WHO's Americas region, for example, rates rose by 6 percent between 2010 and 2016.
The report also found nearly three times more men die by suicide in wealthy countries than women, in contrast to the more equal rates in low and middle-income countries.
"Suicides are preventable," said WHO's director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. "We call on all countries to incorporate proven suicide prevention strategies into national health and education programs."
WHO's report comes as New Zealand's Government announces it plan to help reduce the country's high suicide rate.
The plan to reduce suicides focuses on "promoting wellbeing", "responding to suicide distress and behaviour", and "supporting individuals, whānau and communities after a suicide".
The Suicide Prevention Strategy will include a Suicide Prevention Office, led by a Director of Suicide Prevention, to provide "central leadership and better coordination" of preventative work.
In addition, a "lived experience advisory group" and "Māori advisory group" will also be established to work with the office.
The financial details of the office have not been disclosed, but it will be housed and supported by the Ministry of Health initially, with the intention of becoming standalone in "coming years".
Newshub / Reuters
