Hyderabad: A report released by Niti Aayog shows that AP has the third highest number of suicides in the country and TS, the fifth highest.
TS has also reported many cases of stroke but less than AP. The total number of ischemic heart disease (IHD), stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, cancer, and suicides reported from TS is less than AP for the year 2016-17.
According to the demographics, in Andhra Pradesh, 3.70 lakh women and 1.80 lakh men committed suicide. In Telangana, 1.51 lakh men and 3.49 lakh women committed suicide. In total, the cause of death of 5.50 lakh in AP and five lakh in Telangana was suicide.
The figures also indicate that more women than men killed themselves. Topping the national suicide table is Karnataka, followed by Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Telangana and Kerala.
It should be noted that the number of suicides reported are relatively high in all the five South Indian states when compared to the rest of the country.
“Suicide strikes the poor, the moneyed, old and young, married and the separated, successful and striving, driving them to commit suicide for reasons known to them only. The risk of suicide peaks between 36 hours and 72 hours after suicidal thoughts occur. However, suicides can be avoided with regular and timely counselling,” said psychologist Dharma Rao.
India’s think-tank, Niti Aayog, studied 18 states, including AP and Ts and collated cases of IHD, stroke, COPD, diabetes, cancer, suicide and ranked these states accordingly.
When the two Telugu-speaking states were compared based on cases of IHD, stroke, COPD, cancer, diabetes, AP reported more cases than TS.
Andhra Pradesh has the fourth highest number of IHD, eighth highest number of strokes, fifth highest number of diabetes cases, and is ranked 12th for cancer. The state with the most number of reported cancer cases is Kerala.
