KABUL - The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) on Sunday said the number of suicide cases has recently gone up. However, it did not provide specific figures.
A survey conducted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2014 showed 1,205 people committed suicide in Afghanistan in 2012.
According to the survey among the individuals who committed suicide, 643 were females and 562 males. Most of them were aged between 15 and 29 years.
Dr. Ahmad Jan Naeemi, deputy director of planning and policy at the ministry, told a function marking the World Suicide Prevention Day the MoPH could not collect exact figures of suicide cases.
People tried to avoid disclosing suicide cases, which were considered a disgrace, he reasoned, cases like self-immolation and poisoning were usually registered by hospitals.
According to Naeem, poverty, unemployment, conflict, a deep sense of deprivation and other issues were behind the growing cases of suicide in the country.
He demanded different government institutions, including the ministries of hajj; counter-narcotics, information and education help the MoPH in implementation of the suicide prevention strategy.
Every year, close to a million people take their lives across the world.(Pajhwok)