FIJI, May 2, 2002: Suicide, mainly by ethnic Indian women, has become Fiji’s biggest killer, a mental health expert here said. The principal medical officer at the Saint Giles Psychiatric Hospital here, Dr Odille Chan, presented the latest official statistics to a youth conference and a statement was issued by the government outlining her findings. Indians make up 44 per cent of Fiji’s 800,000 people. Chan said that in 2000 a total of 104 suicides were recorded, with Indians making up 92 of them. “Suicide is a multifaceted issue for which there is no single cause,” she said in the government issued statement. “It is influenced by a variety of factors — sociological, psychological or substance abuse — which interact in a complex manner.” she added. “It is clear that suicide is a complex problem, which requires an innovative, comprehensive and multi-sector approach, including health and non-health sectors, for example, education, labor, police, religion, and the media,” Chan said.
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