Reducing suicide in rural India by limiting access to pesticides
September 2015
WHO/Sarojini Manikandan
Swallowing pesticides is among the most common means of suicide worldwide. Widespread use in India of pesticides in farming has led to particularly high rates of suicide in the country’s rural areas. In the first study of its kind, WHO has been investigating whether limiting access to pesticides – by building centralized pesticide storage facilities away from people’s homes – can help reduce suicides in southern India.
This photo story outlines why suicide is a public health problem in India, how the idea of central storage facilities came about, and why involving the whole community in the project has helped promote awareness and ultimately reduces suicides.