Overview

• The International Association for Suicide Prevention, in partnership with the World Health Organization, marks the day each year on 10 September.
• WHO estimates more than 700,000 people die by suicide globally each year, with public-health guidance emphasizing that suicides are preventable.
• The 2024–2026 theme, Changing the Narrative on Suicide, calls for confronting stigma and elevating suicide prevention as a public policy priority with institutional action.
• WHO highlights warning signs including talking about death, expressing hopelessness or feeling like a burden, giving away possessions, seeking means, or saying farewells.
• Local data spotlight urgency in Hong Kong, with about 1,000 deaths annually, a rising rate over the past three years, and surveys showing roughly 10% of young people reporting recent suicidal thoughts.