Thailand launches anti-suicide team to help people in despair
The national public health committee has appointed a team to halt the rising suicide trend in Thailand.
Speaking in his role as the committee’s chair, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the team will integrate operations of several government agencies, including the ministries of Social Development and Human Security, Education, and Justice.
Anutin said the operational team will inform people of their basic rights and welfare entitlements, and also offer solutions for their problems. The team will screen people in at-risk groups including the mentally ill, alcohol or drug addicts, and people who have already attempted suicide.
Statistics show that 53,000-54,000 people try to kill themselves in Thailand each year. Of these, about 4,000 are successful in committing suicide.
The suicide rate has risen since 2017, with males accounting for the majority of victims. Statistics for 2020 demonstrate that the economic crisis triggered by Covid-19 was a key factor in suicide deaths.
