The number of people consuming poison in order to commit suicide has seen a drastic rise creating a major public health issue, a press release to mark World Suicide Prevention Day today said.

The statement released by VSO, an international development charity that has been working in Sri Lanka added that although suicide numbers are on the decline in the island, still in Sri Lanka, on average11 people die by suicide every day and there are concerns at the numbers of people who take poison.

For each person who dies by suicide, it is estimated that at least 10 others deliberately harm themselves, the statement added.

Director of the National Institute of Mental Health, Dr. Jayan Mendis said that psychiatric services in Sri Lanka have improved dramatically in the last 10 years as services are no longer centred in the South, but can be accessed locally, in every district, right across the island.

"But preventing suicide and self harm is about more than increasing the availability of services.  It is clear to me that preventing suicide is everyone’s responsibility," he said in the statement. (Daily Mirror online)