WHO's recent recommendations on reducing deaths from self harm will not help cut the high death rate from self poisoning in the Asia Pacific region

Self inflicted violence accounts for around half of the 1.6 million violent deaths that occur every year worldwide.1 About 63% of global deaths from self harm occur in the Asia Pacific region. Most of these deaths occur in rural areas, where easy access to highly toxic pesticides turns many impulsive acts of self poisoning into suicide. The World Health Organization's recent World Report on Violence and Health recommends that suicide prevention strategies focus on the identification and treatment of people with mental disorders.2 However, as impulsive self poisoning is often not associated with mental illness, this may not be the most effective approach for rural Asia.

Suicide or fatal self harm?

Some experts believe that a distinction exists, particularly in terms of intent, between people who harm themselves (attempt suicide) and those who die (commit suicide).6 WHO's report on violence and health, however, acknowledges that, although an intent to die is a key element of suicide, determining the level of intent for an individual is difficult.2

Toxic pesticides are readily …