The World Federation for Mental Health's World Mental Health Day was held yesterday and focuses this year on 'Building Awareness — Reducing Risk: Mental Illness and Suicide'. It calls attention to suicide as a leading cause of premature and preventable death.

Suicide among young people is of significant concern: in some global regions, suicide is the third leading cause of death in the age group 15-35 years. Suicide is the leading cause of death for this age group in China and the second in the European region.

"All too often, suicide represents a tragic consequence of failing to diagnose and treat serious mental illness," said Dr Anders Nordstrom, Acting Director-General of WHO, "It requires a concerted public health response globally, nationally, and also from communities and families, to reduce suicide by reducing mental illness. World Mental Health Day is an important opportunity to recognize the magnitude of the problem, as well as the necessary steps towards the solutions."

An estimated 873,000 people commit suicide every year around the world, which represents 1.4% of the global burden of disease. The proportion of the global disease burden due to suicide varies regionally, from 0.2% in Africa up to 2.6% in the Western Pacific Region.

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