The Minister emphasized that restricting access to hazardous pesticides should be included as a key strategy in national suicide prevention programs worldwide.
Dr. Jayatissa made these remarks while participating in a special side event on “Preventing Suicide Through Pesticide Regulation” held alongside the 79th World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland.
The session was jointly organized by Sri Lanka, Guyana, Kenya, Nigeria, and Pakistan, with support from the World Health Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the International Association for Suicide Prevention.
Addressing the gathering, the Minister highlighted Sri Lanka’s experience as a successful example of how evidence-based pesticide regulation can significantly reduce suicide deaths, particularly in rural communities where toxic agrochemicals had previously been widely accessible.
He further proposed that all countries incorporate pesticide restriction measures into their national suicide prevention strategies in order to protect vulnerable populations and reduce preventable deaths.
