Geneva (AFP) – The World Health Organization warned Tuesday that suicide causes one percent of deaths worldwide, expressing regret over insufficient progress in addressing these cases, which are among the leading causes of death among young people.

The current head of WHO’s Mental Health Department, Devora Kestel, said at a press conference that “suicide claimed the lives of nearly 727,000 people in 2021 alone.”

The organization noted in a new report that suicide is a leading cause of death among young people across countries and socioeconomic contexts.

Despite global efforts, progress has been very slow in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (adopted in 2015), which aims to reduce suicide rates by one third by 2030.

Kestel explained that if the current trend continues, the reduction will not exceed 12% over five years.

Globally, the suicide rate decreased by 35% between 2000 and 2021 and remained stable during the COVID-19 pandemic despite increased risk factors, according to the report.

Nearly three quarters (73%) of suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries, where the majority of the world’s population lives.

However, WHO clarified that high-income countries have higher suicide rates relative to their populations.

The organization stated that suicide remains an extreme outcome of some mental health disorders.

More than one billion people suffer from these disorders, most commonly anxiety and depression, a number growing faster than the global population, according to WHO.

The organization expressed particular concern about mental health disorders among young people, who were especially affected during the COVID-19 pandemic and are more exposed to social media.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement that “developing mental health services is one of the most urgent public health challenges.”

Mental disorders have severe economic consequences, as healthcare costs are high, but there are even greater indirect costs, especially in terms of lost productivity, according to WHO, which points out that depression and anxiety alone cost the global economy one trillion dollars annually.