Men in SA are more than four times more likely to commit suicide than women, according to a new report by the World Health Organisation .states that almost 800,000 people die from suicide every year globally, or one every 40 seconds.
However more concerning was the rate among men. Of the more than 6,000 suicides, 5,138 were men, translating into a suicide rate of 21.8 per 100,000. This is compared with a suicide rate of just more than five women out of a population group of 100,000. Monday marks World Suicide Prevention Day and Sadag has again called for better education, improving prevention measures, and ending the stigma around suicide.
The report found most suicides occurred in low and middle-income countries. These countries are home to 84% of the world’s population. TThe WHO also said “hanging, pesticide self-poisoning, and firearms” were the most common methods of suicide.