News outlets report on the WHO’s first-ever report (.pdf) on suicide, released on Thursday.

Agence France-Presse: One person commits suicide every 40 seconds: WHO
“One person commits suicide every 40 seconds — more than all the yearly victims of wars and natural disaster — with the highest toll among the elderly, the United Nations said Thursday. In its first report on suicide, the U.N.’s World Health Organization blamed intense media coverage when celebrities kill themselves for fueling the problem…” (Fowler, 9/4).

Reuters: WHO calls for action to reduce global suicide rate of 800,000 a year
“…In its first global report on suicide prevention, the United Nations health agency said some 75 percent of suicides are among people from poor or middle-income countries and called for more to be done to reduce access to common means of suicide…” (Kelland, 9/4).

U.N. News Centre: ‘Now is the time to act,’ U.N. urges on release of first global report on suicide prevention
“…The report also notes that the most common methods of suicide globally are pesticide poisoning, hanging, and firearms. Evidence from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the United States, and a number of European countries reveals that limiting access to these means can help prevent people dying by suicide. Another key to reducing deaths by suicide is a commitment by national governments to the establishment and implementation of a coordinated plan of action, WHO said in a news release. Currently, only 28 countries are known to have national suicide prevention strategies…” (9/4).