On 12 September 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched two resources designed to strengthen suicide prevention efforts: Preventing suicide: a resource for media professionals (2023 update) and a policy brief on the health aspects of decriminalization of suicide and suicide attempts

Each year more than 700 000 people take their own life according to a report by WHO. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15–29-year-olds.

Suicide can be linked to multiple, complex, and intersecting social, economic, cultural, and psychological factors and challenges, including the denial of basic human rights and access to resources as well as stressful life events such as loss of livelihood, work or academic pressures, relationship breakdowns and discrimination, among others.

Reducing the global suicide rate by one third by 2030 is a target of both the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the WHO Global Mental Health Action Plan.

“Each death by suicide is a tragedy, and more must be done to strengthen suicide prevention. The resources launched by WHO today provide important guidance on two areas which are critical to suicide prevention efforts: decriminalisation of suicide and suicide attempts and responsible reporting of suicide by the media,” said Dévora Kestel, Director of Mental Health and Substance Use, World Health Organization.

Suicide and suicide attempts are criminalized in the laws of at least 23 countries worldwide and suicide attempts continue to be actively punished in some of them.