IPOH: The Health Ministry will set up a suicide database to obtain more detailed reports, including the exact cause of cases.
Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Lee Boon Chye, said the move was aimed at curbing the problem which is now becoming prevalent, especially among teenagers in the country.
"We want to have a more accurate database that shows the real situation. We consider suicide attempts as a disease that needs to be treated and not criminalised," he told reporters after launching the "Walk the Talk Malaysia: Suicide Prevention" programme in conjunction with the 2019 World Mental Day at the Sultan Abdul Aziz Recreational Park, here, today.
Dr Lee said the latest statistics revealed there were a total of 356 deaths caused by suicide from Jan 1, 2014 until June this year.
According to the 2016 MOH Technical Report based on the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) survey, the prevalence of mental health issues among people over 16 years was 29.2 per cent.